Mark Kuper, Healthcare Fraud, Texas 2020
Fort Worth Doc Sentenced to 10 Years for $10M Healthcare Scam
A Fort Worth osteopath who tried to burn clinic records has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a $10 million healthcare fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Mark Kuper, 43, the owner of Texas Center for Orthopedic and Spinal Disorders (TCOSD), was indicted in June 2020. Three months later, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O'Connor.
According to plea papers, Kuper admitted he conspired with his wife, Melissa Kuper, and a TCOSD physical therapist, Travis Couey, to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE.
The defendant admitted he fraudulently billed insurers for services the clinic never actually rendered, including physical therapy and psychotherapy, and required patients to attend these bogus appointments in order to receive Schedule II controlled substance prescriptions.
Kuper also admitted that he gave his wife access to the secure device and passcode he used to sign controlled substance prescriptions, allowing her to improperly dispense pain medications on her own initiative, without his input.
On multiple occasions, Kuper billed as though he’d provided more than 100 hours’ work in a single 24-hour day. From 2014 to 2017, he submitted more than $10 million in claims to Medicaid, Medicare, and TRICARE.
A civil investigation into TCOSD began after whistleblower Richard Brown filed a qui tam suit alleging that Dr. Kuper was committing fraud through his clinic. On May 29, 2020, the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s office filed a complaint in partial intervention against Dr. Kuper, Mr. Couey, and Dr. Kuper’s clinic.
As part of the settlement, Kuper and his clinic agreed to settle the False Claims Act lawsuit by entry of an agreed judgment against Dr. Kuper and his clinic in the amount of $11,190,222.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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