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South Carolina Medical Provider Pleads Guilty to Federal Health Care Fraud
In a shocking turn of events, Joseph Benjamin Barton, 47, of Mount Pleasant, the owner and operator of Midlands Physical Medicine LLC in Richland County, has pleaded guilty to a felony count of health care fraud in Columbia, South Carolina.
According to evidence presented in court, from June 2016 until February 2017, Barton, through Midlands Physical Medicine, fraudulently submitted false claims to Medicare Part B for implantable neuro-stimulator pulse generators that beneficiaries did not receive and submitted “approvals” for such devices by a doctor no longer affiliated with the practice.
While Barton submitted claims to Medicare stating that another affiliated physician rendered the procedure, that physician was not a part of the practice, was living in Florida at the time, and was unaware that Barton submitted these claims using his identifiers as the provider that rendered the services. In actuality, a physician’s assistant was providing Medicare beneficiaries an auricular electrical nerve stimulation device not covered by Medicare, in place of an implantable stimulator device, to provide relief from pain and/or headaches.
The maximum penalties Barton faces include ten years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The Office of the Inspector General for United States Department of Health and Human Services is investigating the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Winston Holliday is prosecuting the case.
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs accepted Barton’s guilty plea and will sentence Barton at a later date. The case is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in the healthcare system to prevent such egregious crimes.
As this case unfolds, it is clear that Barton’s actions were a betrayal of the trust placed in him as a medical provider. The sheer scope of the fraud, with claims totaling $194,000, is staggering and underscores the need for stricter regulations to prevent such abuses.
Barton’s guilty plea serves as a warning to other medical providers who would seek to exploit the system for personal gain. The consequences of such actions can be severe, and this case should serve as a deterrent to those who would consider similar crimes.
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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