There are no limits to the types of fraud schemes that fraudsters can profit from. Case in point, the foot bath scheme which first appeared on the government’s radar in early 2019. That’s right. A bowl of warm water, feet, and millions of dollars in fraud opportunity. No, this is not pedicure, nor is it a fetish. Foot baths involve the prescription of some very expensive medications. Most, if not all of them, have proven to be entirely useless in the context by which they are being used. Fraudsters aren’t really looking to cure medical problems. Moreover, these drugs prescribed may cause harm and/or lead to antibiotic resistance. While providing no medically ascertainable benefit to patients, these prescription medications are costing the government between $6,000 – $18,000 per patient per month. A worthwhile endeavor for a fraudster like Dr. Nathan Lucas.
Owner and operator of a podiatry clinic, Advanced Foot & Ankle Care of Memphis, as well as two in-house pharmacies, Lucas regularly prescribed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of water for patients to soak their feet. These drug cocktails included capsules, creams, and powders that were not indicated to be dissolved in water and some of which were not even water soluble. A danger to patients and the U. S. taxpayer. Lucas chose these medications to prescribe and dispense strictly based on their anticipated reimbursement amount, rather than medical necessity.
From October 2018 through September 2021, Lucas caused his pharmacies to submit nearly four million dollars in claims to Medicare and TennCare for dispensing expensive foot bath medications that were not medically necessary and not eligible for reimbursement. In total, Lucas received three million dollars in fraudulent proceeds.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Memphis podiatrist convicted of $4M foot bath fraud scheme” published by Action News 5 on March 19, 2024
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A federal jury convicted a Tennessee podiatrist for a scheme to defraud Medicare and TennCare by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications and obtaining millions of dollars in reimbursements.
Nathan Lucas, 59, was the owner of Advanced Foot & Ankle Care of Memphis and regularly prescribed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of water for patients to soak their feet. The mix of drugs included capsules, creams and powders–some of which were not even water soluble.
