24th physician pleads guilty to taking bribes in $100M fraud scheme

A physician with practices in Jersey City, N.J., has admitted he accepted bribes in exchange for test referrals as part of a long-running fraud scheme operated by Parsippany, N.J.-based Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services, according to the Department of Justice.

Advertisement

Anthony DelPiano, MD, pleaded guilty to one count of accepting bribes. Dr. DelPiano admitted he was paid approximately $2,300 per month by BLS in return for referring patient blood specimens to the lab. His referrals generated at least $1.75 million in lab business for BLS, according to the DOJ.

Including Dr. DelPiano, 32 people — 24 of them physicians — have pleaded guilty in connection with the fraud scheme.

Organizers of the scheme have admitted it involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in payments to BLS from Medicare and various private insurance companies, according to the DOJ.

More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits:

CHS settles false claims allegations for $75M
5 healthcare antitrust cases to watch in 2015
5 latest healthcare industry lawsuits

 

At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.

Download Whitepaper

The cost-saving opportunity most health systems overlook

Many hospitals and health systems scrutinize staffing, service lines, and payer contracts for savings. Fewer look at one of their largest assets: real estate.…

Advertisement

Next Up in Legal & Regulatory Issues

Advertisement

Comments are closed.