LA County doctor sentenced to 15 years for $45M Medicare Botox fraud

A Los Angeles County doctor was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a Medicare fraud scheme involving more than $45 million in Botox injection claims, the U.S. Department of Justice reported. The doctor, who operated Healthy Way Medical Center in Glendale, billed Medicare for injections that were medically unnecessary and never provided.

The doctor billed Medicare for thousands of Botox injections purportedly for chronic migraine treatment, but prosecutors said many were cosmetic or lacked proper referrals from primary care physicians. The scheme included billing for injections on days the clinic was closed and even while the doctor was on vacation in locations such as Mexico, Hawaii, and Las Vegas.

When federal investigators began closing in, the doctor attempted to cover up the fraud by falsifying medical records and forging Medicare beneficiary signatures. One forged signature was for a man who was in federal prison during the claimed treatment period.

Prosecutors noted the doctor used the stolen Medicare funds to buy luxury items, including a 17th-century crossbow and real estate. The case highlights ongoing efforts to combat healthcare fraud in the Los Angeles area.