"At the core of Medicare fraud schemes, individuals place personal greed above providing legitimate medical care. In this case, the defendant not only defrauded the Medicare program, he also stole the identification of a doctor to do it," said Assistant Attorney General [Lanny A. Breuer]. "The jury's conviction sends a message to health care providers committing Medicare fraud - American taxpayers will not tolerate abuse of a program intended to benefit the elderly and disabled." According to the evidence presented at trial, [Ronald Luis Bradshaw] worked as a licensed physician assistant at a Los Angeles clinic, Glenmountain Medical Group (Glenmountain), allegedly under the supervision of a doctor. Evidence at trial established that from approximately April 2005 to April 2008, Bradshaw prescribed hundreds of motorized wheelchairs and custom-fitted orthotics to Medicare beneficiaries under the apparent authority and supervision of a doctor. Bradshaw also ordered diagnostic tests for these beneficiaries under the same doctor's apparent authority. The joint DOJ-HHS Medicare Fraud Strike Force is a multi-agency team of federal, state and local investigators designed to combat Medicare fraud through the use of Medicare data analysis techniques and an increased focus on community policing. In May 2009, the Department of Justice and HHS announced the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint effort to prevent fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. As part of the HEAT initiative, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations were expanded from South Florida and Los Angeles to Detroit and Houston. To learn more about the HEAT initiative, go to: www.hhs.gov/stopmedicarefraud....

Medicare and Medicaid; Jury Convicts Los Angeles Physician Assistant for Stealing Doctor's Identity and Defrauding Medicare in $7.7 Million Scheme