Under the Knife and Under Investigation
A San Fernando Valley woman, Roshanak Khadem, a.k.a. “Roxanne Khadem,” pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for conspiring to defraud health insurance companies. Khadem did so by filing millions in fraudulent claims submitted for cosmetic procedures that were either not covered by insurance or...
Filling the Gap
Telehealth allowed the healthcare industry to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. When many were opposed to venturing out to the doctor, telehealth filled the gap and provided a way for individuals to receive necessary medical and mental health services. The door was also...
Not by the Playbook
Professional football is a high-risk sport and can be really rough on professional players’ health. (America’s favorite sport has been known to increase the risk of head injuries, dementia, high blood pressure, broken bones, and lots of joint aches and pains as players age.)...
To Dispense or Not to Dispense
Mohamad Ali Makki, 46, of Dearborn Heights, Mich., participated in a healthcare fraud scheme that defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan of nearly $10 million. As a licensed pharmacist at LifeCare Pharmacy in Farmington Hills over six years, Makki and...
False Diagnosis
While COVID-19 has caused hardship for many, it has promoted advancements in telemedicine, which physicians turned to as a way to provide health care services to their patients. As stay-at-home orders were issued across the U.S., a report states that telehealth utilization was 38...
1-800-GET-THIN
A West Hollywood, California man has been found guilty of multiple charges involving a healthcare fraud scheme. Julian Omidi, 53, and his Beverly Hills-based company, Surgery Center Management LLC (SCM), carried out an elaborate scheme defrauding insurance companies including Tricare, Anthem Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and...
Wow
Have you ever been speechless after you hear about something that is just too hard to fathom? (Like a Southern California man who carried out a series of carefully devised plans to commit fraud and fund a lavish lifestyle? The nerve of him.) Matthew...
With the Check of a Box
Sometimes, the criminal justice system allows individuals or businesses to resolve allegations to avoid incrimination or incarceration. A 49-year-old physician from The Woodlands, Tex., was fortunate to settle allegations he submitted false claims for the placement of electro-acupuncture devices on his patients. (Oh, and...
Just Hang Up the Phone
“I love telemarketing calls,” said no one, ever. If only scores of beneficiaries of Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“CHAMPVA”) had just hung up the phone, you wouldn’t be reading about this $134 million healthcare...
Black Box Warning
A “Black Box” warning is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) strictest warning for drugs and medical devices on the market. They alert the public and healthcare providers to serious side effects such as injury or death. (Examples include warnings about smoking on...