New York cardiologist charged for alleged involvement in COVID-related fraud scheme
Cardiologist Perry Frankel, MD, the owner and medical director of Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics in Long Island, New York, has been charged with three counts of healthcare fraud for his alleged involvement in a fraud scheme involving COVID-19 tests.
Frankel allegedly helped submit approximately $1.3 million in false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for office visits related to COVID-19 testing that never occurred. He was arrested on Wednesday, April 20.
“The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Unit and our partners are dedicated to rooting out schemes that have exploited the pandemic,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. said in a prepared statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. “Today’s enforcement action reinforces our commitment to using all available tools to hold accountable medical professionals, corporate executives, and others who have placed greed above care during an unprecedented public health emergency.”
“As alleged, Frankel took advantage of the COVID-19 health crisis to engage in a fraud scheme that undermined our healthcare system and the people it serves,” added Scott J. Lampert, special agent in charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s Office of Investigations. “Such scams waste taxpayer funds and drive up healthcare costs for all of us.”
Frankel’s lead attorney, Timothy Sini of Nixon Peabody, issued a statement to the media about the case, as shared by News 12 in New York and others.
“Dr. Frankel is a respected cardiologist in the Long Island region who has saved lives by providing vital mobile medical screenings to law enforcement, school districts and many communities across Long Island and the five boroughs,” Sini said. “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Dr. Frankel stepped up and brought much needed COVID-19 testing to the community. He has been recognized for his service by many, including the White House. The government, as part of a larger initiative, is targeting healthcare providers who supposedly took advantage of the pandemic to benefit themselves financially. Nothing could be further from the truth here — Dr. Frankel provided a much-needed service during a public health crisis and an extremely challenging time.”
The Department of Justice statement does emphasize that Frankel is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.