government
Doctor accused of single-largest fraud scheme says he’s not guilty
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 1, 2012
A Texas physician charged with bilking the government of nearly $375 million has pleaded not guilty to health care fraud.
Emergency physician Jacques Roy, MD, is accused of recruiting fake patients to sign for medical treatments he never provided, then billing Medicare and Medicaid for the care. Dr. Roy owned and operated Dallas-based Medistat Group Associates P.A., an association of health professionals that provided home health certifications and patient home visits, according to the Justice Dept.
In September, Dr. Roy pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include health care fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, making false statements and obstruction of justice. The doctor denies all allegations, said his attorney, Ali R. Fazel. A trial for Dr. Roy was set for October, but Fazel said the date probably will be pushed back to later in the year.
Dr. Roy’s alleged crimes represent the single-largest health fraud scheme exposed in the nation’s history, according to the Justice Dept.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/10/01/gvbf1001.htm.
