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Brooklyn, NY - Foot Doc Accused in Medicare Fraud |
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Dr. Simon Levich, who owns Avenue P Medical in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, not only charged for more than 160 hours of services on one day in 2006, but enticed customers by offering them spa treatments, cash, food and vacations, court papers said.
In a vast, two-year fraud scheme Dr. Levich, 53, also allegedly billed Medicare through accounts of doctors no longer working for him.
The Peter Court resident is free on $1 million bail after recently being arraigned in Brooklyn federal court on health-care fraud charges.
"Dr. Levich is a very well-respected practitioner. He's helped scores and scores of patients," his Manhattan based- lawyer, Michael Rosen, said today. "He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and is presumed innocent."
Online records of the state Education Department, which licenses podiatrists, show Dr. Levich is registered through November. He was licensed in August 1990, and his disciplinary record is clean.
According to court papers, the scheme ran from September 2006 through December 2008, although Dr. Levich's Medicare billings had been flagged as suspicious years earlier.
In November 2001, Dr. Levich's Medicare charges spiked to $400,000 from $30,000 the prior month. His billings continued to surge through fall 2006, authorities allege.
Investigation revealed Dr. Levich billed for surgical procedures when patients, in fact, merely received whirlpool treatment and pedicures. He allegedly billed for a high number of physical therapy services and submitted charges for routine foot care procedures without appropriate diagnoses.
Dr. Levich frequently billed Medicare for "impossible days," court papers said.
Such a day is one in which a medical provider records more than 16 billable hours. Between June 2005 and September 2006, Dr. Levich averaged nearly 20 hours of timed services per day, including a whopping 160 hours on April 10, 2006, authorities allege.
According to court papers, Dr. Levich's Medicare billings declined sharply in September 2006, after he was put under review. They ceased altogether by the end of 2007.
Nonetheless, he continued to bill Medicare millions of dollars during that time through the accounts of doctors he hired. Some of the charges were for services rendered before or after those doctors actually worked for Dr. Levich, authorities allege.
In September 2006, Dr. Levich allegedly set up Cyclone Podiatry for another doctor. The practice was at 209 Avenue P, the same location as Dr. Levich's office.
Ten patients listed for the other doctor had no recollection of meeting him, court papers said. Instead, they said Dr. Levich treated them.
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Read Comments (9) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 22, 2009 at 08:52 PM Anonymous Says:
This sounds excactly like the schemes I came accross while I was part of a team doing the first Medicaid fraud investigations in 1976-1977. Seems like nothing has changed in 30+ years.
2
Jul 22, 2009 at 09:50 PM Anonymous Says:
“ This sounds excactly like the schemes I came accross while I was part of a team doing the first Medicaid fraud investigations in 1976-1977. Seems like nothing has changed in 30+ years. ”
I remember as a child there was a massive scheme where my entire community was getting free shoes that were paid for by fraudulent prescriptions issued by various podiatrists. It seems for a few years every visit to the shoe store was preceded by a visit to the podiatrist, though there was nothing wrong with any of our feet and we received regular shoes. One day the prosecutors office rounded up as many people as they could and bussed them to the court to testify against the doctors.
3
Jul 23, 2009 at 01:42 AM Elchonon Says:
But But But obame-siah is giving freeeee healthcare.. oy vay will the doctors bill the government.. vos nuch? obviusly doctors will all receive a standard 50$ an hour paycheck soon..
4
Jul 23, 2009 at 12:39 AM Anonymous Says:
i guess the the doctor put his foot in his mouth,or better said in his pocket"""
5
Jul 23, 2009 at 10:18 AM Anonymous Says:
Insurance companies pay so little of what is billed I can understand the desire to bill them way more in order to "come out even" or feel you're being paid your worth. But the world scrutinizes us and everything we do, we have to resist the desire the "make things right" even against evil insurance companies that rip us off on a regular basis.
6
Jul 23, 2009 at 10:46 AM FedMan Says:
“ Insurance companies pay so little of what is billed I can understand the desire to bill them way more in order to "come out even" or feel you're being paid your worth. But the world scrutinizes us and everything we do, we have to resist the desire the "make things right" even against evil insurance companies that rip us off on a regular basis. ”
That is no excuse to steal. A gonef is a gonef.
7
Jul 23, 2009 at 11:30 AM A Frum MD Says:
“ Insurance companies pay so little of what is billed I can understand the desire to bill them way more in order to "come out even" or feel you're being paid your worth. But the world scrutinizes us and everything we do, we have to resist the desire the "make things right" even against evil insurance companies that rip us off on a regular basis. ”
And well it should scrutinize us, that is what is going to prevent the minority of our collegues from fraud & mis treatment. Where is it written that just because we have a medical degree we must be a chazer. What an income of $200 or $300k is not enough. I went into medicine for joy of being able to heal and help people, not to rip them off or over charge medicare or insurance companies. Sure we are nickled & dimed by everyone but we have created our own monster to a large part. Perhaps we need to focus more on the practice of medicine than on the business of medicine.
8
Jul 23, 2009 at 12:56 PM Anonymous Says:
“ And well it should scrutinize us, that is what is going to prevent the minority of our collegues from fraud & mis treatment. Where is it written that just because we have a medical degree we must be a chazer. What an income of $200 or $300k is not enough. I went into medicine for joy of being able to heal and help people, not to rip them off or over charge medicare or insurance companies. Sure we are nickled & dimed by everyone but we have created our own monster to a large part. Perhaps we need to focus more on the practice of medicine than on the business of medicine. ”
You wish you were a doctor!
9
Jul 23, 2009 at 01:55 PM A Frum MD Says:
“ You wish you were a doctor! ”
Sorry to dissapoint you, but I am and I have the diploma to prove it. Now please tell me what is your excuse!