Missouri Podiatrist Sentenced for Medicare Fraud
June 22, 2009
Bic Chau Stafford, DPM, a podiatrist practicing in St. Louis, Mo., was sentenced to five months in prison for fraudulently billing Medicare and then attempting to cover up the fraud, according to a report in the St. Louis Dispatch.
According to the report, Dr. Stafford billed Medicare for complex procedures when she actually performed routine procedures, such as trimming patients' nails. After $6,840 in payments was denied, Dr. Stafford created fake medical records and resubmitted the claims.
Dr. Stafford pleaded guilty to charges in April and was sentenced to five months in prison, five months of home detention and a $25,000 fine, according to the report. She also agreed to pay the Medicare program $425,000 as part of a civil settlement.
Read the Dispatch's report about Dr. Stafford's sentence for Medicare fraud.
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