Fined $250,000 also by Grand Jury.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: An Indian American doctor in New York, Sreekrishna Cheruvu, 58, has been charged with healthcare fraud for submitting false claims for payments totaling $800,000 and could face 10 years in prison.
A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment charging Cheruvu of East Amherst, New York. The charges carry a $250,000 fine also.
Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the defendant treats patients for opioid addiction at his office in Williamsville, New York, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Between January 2009 and December 2013, Cheruvu submitted false and fraudulent claims to private insurance companies seeking reimbursement for services allegedly provided. Claims submitted by the defendant included reimbursement for individual counseling sessions when patients were actually seen in a group therapy setting, and reimbursement for services Cheruvu allegedly provided while he was, in fact, out of the country.
For example, some of the defendant’s patients reported that between eight and 15 patients attended the group therapy sessions that were billed as individual counseling sessions. The patients also stated that counselors, not Cheruvu, led the group therapy sessions and that when the defendant did attend a session, he stayed for about 10 minutes at the beginning or end of the session.
In November 2013, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s Williamsville office. Records seized during the search revealed that on multiple occasions, Cheruvu billed insurance companies for therapy sessions that he did not attend.
According to the complaint, the defendant submitted false and fraudulent claims for payment to HealthNow, Independent Health and Excellus totaling approximately $628,000.
The complaint further alleges that Cheruvu submitted claims for payment totaling $147,000 on dates it was determined that the defendant was outside of the country.