Surgeon Drains $145,000,000 From US Government and Blue Cross in Massive Fraud Scheme: DOJ
An orthopedic surgeon in Texas has been sentenced to 102 months in prison for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that drained more than $100 million from the healthcare system. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 61-year-old Michael Taba accepted bribes and kickbacks from pharmacy owners to prescribe unnecessary medication.
Prosecutors say that between May 2014 and March 2017, Taba helped pharmacies bill the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Worker Compensation Program (DOL-OWCP) and Blue Cross Blue Shield for over $145 million, pocketing $90 million in the process. The medication prescribed by Taba was reportedly mixed by untrained teenagers in the backrooms of the pharmacies and was deemed ineffective by patients.
Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General stated, “Dr. Michael Taba accepted bribes and kickbacks for writing thousands of prescriptions for unnecessary compounded medications issued to injured federal workers covered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, putting illegal profits above patients’ safety.”
Taba was found guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud in November of 2023. The judge handed down a sentence of 102 months in prison for his crimes.
For more updates and news, follow us on X, Facebook, and Telegram. Subscribe to get email alerts directly to your inbox and stay informed about price action and the latest developments in the industry.
(Image credit: Midjourney)
