A Texas-based doctor, Jason Finkelstein, has been charged in a healthcare fraud scheme, accused of billing insurers for medically unnecessary cardiovascular screening tests for college student-athletes. The scheme, which allegedly ran from 2019 through the end of last year, involved Finkelstein and his company using deceptive marketing tactics to offer free heart screenings to students who did not need them, then certifying the results as normal without reviewing them.

Details of the Scheme

According to the indictment, Finkelstein submitted phony diagnoses to insurers, including claims of elevated blood pressure and hypertension, in order to secure reimbursement for the unnecessary tests. The indictment also alleges that Finkelstein paid kickbacks to school officials to refer potential patients to his company.

The Justice Department announced the charges as part of a two-week healthcare fraud crackdown, which involved more than $6.5 billion in false claims submitted to insurers. A total of 455 people were charged, including 13 in North Texas.

Finkelstein’s case is particularly notable, as it alleges not only healthcare fraud but also poor medical performance that put patients at risk. In one instance, a patient whose test results were falsely certified as normal later died on the basketball court due to undetected heart problems.

Response from Authorities

The Justice Department has emphasized its commitment to combating healthcare fraud, with Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald stating that the department will treat such schemes as predatory and prioritize their disruption.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.