A Muskegon physician has been charged with healthcare fraud after admitting to billing Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield for services she did not perform.
Soaries Maxine Peterson, 68, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud on May 25, 2022. According to court documents, Peterson billed for office visits for patients who came to her office, often to obtain monthly prescriptions for controlled substances, when she was on vacation out of state or when she was outside of the office performing other services.
During these encounters, patients met only with unlicensed office staff and no qualified health professional.
Peterson also agreed to pay the United States and the State of Michigan $500,000 to resolve her civil liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged fraudulent claims she billed to Medicare and Medicaid.
As part of the investigation, Peterson surrendered her Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration for cause, and she has agreed to never reapply for a new registration, preventing her from ever prescribing opioids and other controlled substances in the future.
Peterson is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence.
The citizens of this district deserve better, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. My office is committed to working with our federal and state partners to combat this unprofessional, unsafe, and unlawful behavior in Michigan.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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