A New Jersey pediatrician has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after having fraudulently submitted bills to Medicaid for more than 1,000 wound repair procedures that were never performed.
Dr. Badawy M. Badawy, 52, of Bayonne, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to Count One of an indictment charging him with health care fraud. Judge Thompson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
Badawy admitted in court that he regularly submitted claims for procedures that were never performed. As a result of his false claims, Badawy received $196,911 in Medicaid payments.
Judge Thompson sentenced Badawy to serve three years of supervised release after serving time in prison and fined him $5,000. Badawy must also pay restitution of $196,911.
The federal government is going after those who would commit health care fraud with a vengeance. In recent years, Medicare and other government backed health care programs have been scrutinizing the details of claims and are on the lookout for fraud. Everyone is affected by claims that are fraudulent because we all pay for them through our taxpayer dollars. Many of these costs can be traced to at least a portion of the high price for medical care in our country.
If you suspect that there may be health care fraud when dealing with any medical procedure or claim, contact the law offices of Bottar Law PLLC today. We are here for you and to protect your rights. When you call our offices, we can schedule free consultation and legal analysis to discuss your case.