Dec. 17—A 39-yr-old Honolulu male entered a not responsible plea in federal courtroom Friday to allegations that he utilized unlicensed men and women to deliver physical therapy and chiropractic expert services then faked statements that resulted in accumulating a lot more than $3 million in payments above a time period of 4-1 /2 many years.
A 39-12 months-previous Honolulu male entered a not responsible plea in federal courtroom Friday to allegations that he made use of unlicensed individuals to provide physical therapy and chiropractic providers then faked statements that resulted in amassing additional than $3 million in payments in excess of a interval of 4-1 /2 decades.
Stephen Timothy Wells owned and operated Ehukai Kapolei LLC and Healthcare Companions Inc., which did enterprise on Oahu as Oahu Backbone and Rehab. Wells experienced no healthcare education or other schooling linked to health treatment, according to a Dec. 8 indictment charging him with seven counts of well being treatment fraud and four counts of aggravated id theft.
Wells is scheduled to go to trial on the costs Feb. 14 ahead of Senior U.S. Decide Helen Gillmor. Wells remains free on an unsecured $50, 000 bond. His attorney, Richard Sing, declined remark. Assistant U.S. Legal professional Mohammad Khatib is prosecuting the scenario for the authorities.
Hawaii’s U.S. Legal professional Clare E. Connors reported in a composed assertion, “This indictment reflects the department’s motivation to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving fake billings to public well being courses and the inappropriate provision of health care serv ices to members of our neighborhood.”
Between July 2013 and Dec. 31, 2018, Wells allegedly submitted claims for payment for actual physical therapy and chiropractic serv ices to TRICARE, Medicare, Veterans Wellbeing Administration and Hawaii Health care Provider Association.
Federal prosecutors highlighted 7 bogus claims allegedly created by Wells, 6 to TRICARE and a person to HMSA, ranging from $152.70 to $315 as examples of services supplied by unlicensed personnel members. Between the unlicensed team associates tasked with supplying bodily remedy and chiropractic services had been a therapeutic massage therapist, an athletic trainer and a personalized trainer.
In the cases of Medicare statements, which demand a national company identifier—a special number issued by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services—Wells allegedly utilized the identify and NPI number of licensed practitioners when in actuality they did not complete any of the function.
Wells allegedly utilized NPI numbers of 12 genuine NPI holders to submit claims to wellness care advantage courses that falsely mentioned physical remedy and chiropractic solutions had been furnished when unlicensed staff at Oahu Spine and Rehab done the products and services. Wells allegedly employed 6 diverse billing codes that comprehensive the variety procedure individuals been given.
He also allegedly furnished “gifts and complimentary childcare ” to patients as a indicates to encouraging them to frequent his organization, thus maximizing the count of fraudulent promises he could submit, according to the federal court docket files.
His pretend statements allegedly resulted in $3.3 million in payments to his firm, according to federal prosecutors. Wells allegedly diverted cash from those payments and employed it to fund his lifestyle and other company ventures, in accordance to the indictment. Wells, who was born in La Jolla, Calif., surrendered his U.S. and Canadian passport.
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