Chicago Area Doctors Charged With Millions Worth Of False Claims In Massive Medicare Fraud Enforcement Action

GLENVIEW, IL — The owner of a Glenview rehabilitation clinic offering laser therapy, shock-wave therapy and an anti-gravity treadmill — along with a chiropractor who also owns a Chicago cross-fit gym and another chiropractor who purports to be the only doctor making house calls in the western suburbs — has been charged with submitting false claims as part of what federal authorities are calling the "largest health care fraud enforcement action in Department of Justice history."

“This week, we arrested once trusted doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who were corrupted by greed and preyed on the vulnerable utilizing them to bill for services or drugs that were unnecessary or never provided,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Anderson.

Medicaid Fraud Control Units in more than 20 states participated in Thursday’s arrests, which involved charges for more than 400 defendants. They included 115 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals accused of participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $1.3 billion in false billings.

One of the local cases involved Beatta Kabbani, a licensed physical therapist and the owner of MedCare Medical Group in Glenview. She was charged with aggravated identity theft and health care fraud in a 13-count indictment, which accuses her of submitting more than $2 million in false claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Health Care, prosecutors said.

The indictment alleges that Kabbani used another doctor's identification number to substantiate some of her false billing. She did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

“Health care fraud is a serious crime that can have devastating consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levin. “Our office will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who seek to enrich themselves through fraudulent health care schemes.”

As a result of the action, the Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is suspending payment to 295 providers, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists. (Sign up to get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Glenview— or another community in the area. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Another Illinois case involved Jeffrey Witek, owner of JC Rejuvenation & Wellness, and Stephen Hoesley, owner of of Crossfit 312. Both are licensed chiropractors and have been charged with health care fraud in an 18-count indictment with health care fraud, neither responded to a request for comment Thursday.

Prosecutors allege they schemed to defraud Blue Cross Blue Shield, submitting about $1.1 million in fraudulent claims to the insurance company by falsely representing that they had provided certain health care.

Another of the Chicago area investigations involved a conspiracy involving doctors and nurses, accordign to federal prosecutors. Zosima Victuelles, Mylene Masiclat, Maribel Cabrera, Yaseen Odeh and Mohammad Raza Khan were charged with a conspiracy to offer and pay, and to solicit and receive, kickbacks and bribes for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries to Sure Care Home Health Corp in a 28-count indictment. Victuelles, Masiclat and Cabrera were the owners of Sure Care, a home health agency with offices in Glendale Heights and Rockford. Victuelles and Cabrera are also licensed nurses, while Odeh and Khan are licensed medical doctors. The charges stem from Victuelles, Masiclat, Cabrera and others paying Odeh, Khan and other doctors more than $435,000 in kickbacks and bribes for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries to Sure Care.

» via the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois