A brazen Queens eye doctor and his practice have agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle claims that they bilked Medicare and Medicaid out of millions in false claims for unnecessary eye care services, authorities announced today.
The scheme, allegedly carried out by Sheldon Rabin, Sheldon Rabin, M.D., Sheldon Rabin, M.D., P.C. d/b/a New York Eye Care, targeted vulnerable Brooklyn and Queens residents, many of whom were elderly or non-native English speakers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Between 2013 and 2016, the defendants allegedly submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary treatments, manipulating patient test readings to create an appearance of a need for certain eye care services. In some cases, the services were never even rendered because Rabin was out of the office or out of the country, authorities said.
“As alleged, the defendants took advantage of our district’s older residents and other vulnerable individuals in defrauding the Medicare and Medicaid programs for their own personal gain,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “As this settlement makes clear, our Office will protect the integrity of government health care programs and pursue providers who enrich themselves through fraud.”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James added, “Doctors who exploit their patients undermine the health care system that all New Yorkers rely on. Dr. Rabin and his practice unjustly enriched themselves with taxpayer funds by taking advantage of their elderly and vulnerable patients, and today they are being held accountable.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Rabin and his practice will pay $2,426,144.93 to the United States to resolve claims under the False Claims Act. Separately, they will pay $73,855.07 to New York State to resolve claims under New York State’s False Claims Act, for a total payment of $2.5 million.
The settlement includes the resolution of two civil actions brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Mr. Peace also thanked the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the New York State Attorney General for their assistance with the investigation.
The case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, with assistance from the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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