A suburban physician was indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly pocketing nearly $1 million in payments from Medicare and a private insurer for nonexistent treatment, the U.S. attorney in Chicago announced Friday.
The 12-count indictment against Pranav Patel, owner of Palos Medical Care in Palos Heights, alleges he submitted fraudulent claims for medical tests and examinations that were never performed, and used some of his patients’ names without their knowledge to submit fraudulent claims.
Starting in 2008 and continuing until June 2013, Patel fraudulently obtained at least $950,000 in payments from Medicare and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the indictment states.
Patel is charged with seven counts of health care fraud, three counts of making false statements in relation to a health care matter, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The 51-year-old Burr Ridge resident is scheduled to be arraigned May 15, the U.S. attorney said.
Health care fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in prison while the false statements charges carry a maximum of five years and aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory two-year sentence, the U.S. attorney said.
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