Sharma received kickbacks for referrals.
AB Wire
WASHINGTON, DC: An Indian American physician in Illinois, Neil Sharma, 34, has been charged with receiving a kickback in the amount of $2,500 in cash, from an individual in return for his referring Medicaid and Medicare patients to the individual’s company for medical treatment.
Sharma, the medical director of an Illinois healthcare company, was arrested last week on a charge of illegal remunerations, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the complaint and supporting affidavit, Sharma is employed by ‘Company A’, which is contracted with both Medicare and Illinois Medicaid to provide health care benefits to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
‘Company A’ is a managed care organization contracted with the State of Illinois to provide services under Illinois’ Integrated Care Program. ‘Company A’ gets paid Medicaid funds based on the number of Medicaid patients enrolled with the company. As the medical director of ‘Company A’, Sharma is involved in all major clinical patient care programs including review of medical care provided and medical professional aspects of provider contracts.
Also described in the complaint and supporting affidavit, ‘Company B’ is contracted with ‘Company A’ to provide services for Medicaid beneficiaries. In February 2015, Sharma offered an individual who owns ‘Company B’ an additional 500 patients at an increased rate. Sharma also offered to refer to ‘Company B’ Medicaid and Medicare patients in two new programs ‘Company A’ planned to implement. In exchange, Sharma wanted a cash payment immediately and additional cash payments every month after for an unidentified length of time. Sharma planned to conceal the payments received from the individual by being named the medical director for the individual’s other health care companies not contracted with ‘Company A’.
According to the complaint and supporting affidavit, on February 27, 2015, in Rockford, the individual provided Sharma $2,500 in United States currency. After Sharma received the $2,500, on March 9, 2015, ‘Company B’ started seeing new Medicaid and Medicare patients referred by Sharma that are part of one of ‘Company A’s’ new programs.
The charge of illegal remunerations carries a maximum potential penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $25,000, and full restitution.