John Thropay, MD, 74, of Arcadia, Calif., certified Medicare patients as having terminal illnesses that the patients did not have so he could bill Medicare for hospice services, according to a Feb. 16 Justice Department news release.
The fraud occurred between October 2014 and March 2016, according to the release. In 2015, Dr. Thropay was listed as attending provider for more hospice claims paid by Medicare than any other provider in the U.S.
A federal jury convicted Dr. Thropay of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and four counts of healthcare fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for May 28. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.
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