The United States Attorney's Office

PASADENA DOCTOR WITH PRACTICE IN ORANGE COUNTY INDICTED IN $2.3 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME

A doctor has been indicted for fraudulently billing Medicare for approximately $2.3 million in physical therapy services. The indictment, which was returned Wednesday afternoon by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, alleges that the “physical therapy” was performed by unlicensed individuals without any supervision by the doctor, consisted only of massages, and followed the payment of kickbacks to induce Medicare beneficiaries to go to the doctor’s clinic.

Mark Thomas Paskewitz, 45, of Pasadena, was charged with 18 counts of health care fraud in connection with the operation of his Westminster clinic, Good Healthcare, Inc, which was later renamed QS Medical Group PC, Inc.

The indictment outlines a scheme in which physical therapy services were billed to Medicare as if performed by Paskewitz or qualified personnel under his direct supervision, when in actuality patients were being “treated” by unlicensed personnel and the “treatment” consisted of massages. In addition, patients were recruited to come to the clinic with illegal kickbacks.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Paskewitz is expected to be arraigned on the charges in United States District Court in Santa Ana on November 10. If convicted, Paskewitz faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count.

These cases are the product of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office of Inspector General.

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Release No. 08-144
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