By MAIREAD MCARDLE September 27, 2019
3:17 PM
Federal
authorities on Friday charged more than 30 individuals in connection
with an alleged Medicare-fraud scheme that took as much as $2 billion out of
the pockets of taxpayers before it was detected.
The
scheme revolved around tricking seniors into getting their cheeks swabbed for
unnecessary DNA tests that would supposedly tell them whether they were
genetically predisposed to serious diseases, including cancer. The defendants
would then charge Medicare for the swabs. In total, they are alleged to have
collected $2 billion in reimbursements, with the typical bill running between
$7,000 and $12,000. The plot involved telemarketers, doctors, and a lab running
the DNA tests, although many of the Medicare patients never received their test
results.
“A
decade ago, it would have given Medicare beneficiaries pause if someone wanted
to get a swab from their cheek of their saliva,” said Shimon Richmond, the
Department of Health and Human Services’ assistant inspector general for
investigations. “Today people know and recognize what (genetic testing) is, and
they think ‘I can get that done, and I can get it done for free and find out if
I have health issues that I need to address.’”
Officials
warned Medicare enrollees not to be duped by such scams, and only to have a
genetic test done if their primary doctor recommends it.
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