Healthcare Fraud Lawyer Blog
In December, California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) announced it suspended 37 medical providers’ from being part of the state’s workers’ compensation system due to fraud. 21 suspensions were announced on December 4 and 16 additional suspensions were announced on December 21, bringing to the total suspensions for the year to 131. Many of these suspensions arise after being convicted of health care fraud or after a physician loses their medical license.
Suspended Medical Providers
The DWC suspended the following physicians due to fraud or other illegal acts:
- George Laing, participated in an illegal kickback scheme regarding issuing unnecessary prescriptions for durable medical equipment (DME) to Medicare patients. Convicted in 2013.
- Augustus Ohemeng, also participated in an illegal kickback scheme regarding issuing unnecessary prescriptions for DME to Medicare patients. Convicted in 2013.
- George Tarryk, also participated in an illegal kickback scheme regarding issuing unnecessary prescriptions for DME to Medicare patients. Convicted in 2013.
- Emmanuel Chidueme, also participated in an illegal kickback scheme regarding issuing unnecessary prescriptions for DME to Medicare patients. Convicted in 2013.
- Sang Ahn, participated in an illegal kickback scheme to bill Medicare for home health care services that were never provided. Convicted in 2014.
- Yeong Ja Lee, also participated in an illegal kickback scheme to bill Medicare for home health care services that were never provided. Convicted in 2014.
- Cesar Banda, had his medical license revoked in 2017 due to gross negligence in relation to prescribing controlled substances and repeated acts of corrupt and dishonest acts, false representations, and inadequate recordkeeping.
- Kiansi Boni, had his medical license revoked in 2017 for negligence and gross negligence in treating patients, including inappropriately prescribing controlled substances and practicing medicine while his license was suspended.
- Daniel Cham, convicted in 2016 for money laundering and distribution of oxycodone. His medical license was revoked in 2016.
- Hrayr Shahinian, had his medical license revoked in 2016 for untrue advertising and misleading patients.
- James Lemus, was convicted in 2011 of evading tax payments and was suspended by Medi-Cal in 2013.
- Hee Jung Mun (aka Angela Mun), was convicted of health care fraud in 2011 after participating in an illegal kickback scheme to bill Medicare for home health services that were exaggerated or not provided. The Board of Registered Nursing revoked her license in 2016.
- Hwa Ja Kim, also participated in the illegal kickback scheme to defraud Medicare and was convicted in 2012. The Board of Registered Nursing revoked her license in 2014.
- Seonweon Kim, also participated in the illegal kickback scheme to defraud Medicare and pleaded guilty in 2012. He surrendered his physical therapy license in 2016.
- Eddie Choi, participated in an illegal kickback scheme to bill Medicare for physical therapy services that were not provided. He pleaded guilty in 2013 and his license was revoked in 2015.
- Won Suk Lee, also participated in the illegal kickback scheme regarding physical therapy service. He pleaded guilty in 2013 and his license was cancelled in 2016.
- Gonzalo Ruiz, pleaded guilty to illegally dispensing controlled substances in 2012. His medical license was revoked in 2016.
- Naga Raja Thota, pleaded guilty to inappropriately distributing and dispensing controlled substances in 2016 and surrendered his license in 2017.
Do You Have Information About Health Care Fraud?
If you have information regarding any form of health care fraud, whether it includes falsely billing a government health care program or an illegal kickback scheme to obtain patients, you need to contact an experienced attorney at Brod Law Firm today. Depending on your information, you may have the right to go to the authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, or to file a qui tam suit on behalf of the government. Your information may lead to the government regaining illegally obtained reimbursements and getting an unethical physician aware from patients.
Call Brod Law Firm today at (800) 427-7020.
(image courtesy of Hush Naidoo)
