Jacques Roy, MD, a physician originally arrested in early 2012 in the largest home health fraud case involving a single physician, was found guilty in a suburban Texas court, according to a Medscape report.
The federal district court jury found Dr. Roy guilt of fraud charges after a six-week trial. Dr. Roy owned two home health agencies where he allegedly recruited fake patients with groceries, cash and fast food, according to the report. Here are five things to know:
1. Dr. Roy was found guilt of various fraud charges for billing Medicare and Medicaid home health services patients didn't need, amounting to $375 million.
2. Dr. Roy's practice approved 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries to receive care in 500 home health agencies fraudulently over five years. According to the report, Dr. Roy and affiliated providers made unnecessary home visits and ordered unneeded services.
3. For the 2006 to 2011 period examined, Dr. Roy's practice certified more Medicare beneficiaries for home health and treated more during that time than any other practice in the country.
4. Employees at Dr. Roy's practice signed the CMS Form 485 — the Home Health Certification and Plan of Care — for him in their own hand or through electronic signatures.
5. After his arrest Dr. Roy became a flight risk — he created a fake identity — and hid almost $19 million his practice received from Medicare and Medicaid. His office manager also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and has sentencing in June.