Florida man sentenced for selling patient information
Healthcare Auditing Weekly, November 18, 2008
On November 12, Southern Florida United States District Court Judge Marcia Cooke sentenced Melvyn Michell Baez to three years in prison and a year of supervised release for selling Medicare beneficiary information, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The investigation stemmed from a tip from a confidential informant (CI), who told the FBI he believed Baez would be willing to sell patient information. During the initial meeting between the CI and Baez, which was recorded on video and audio, the CI told Baez he intended to open a “half legit” physical therapy company and he wanted “P’s”, which was code for patient information. Baez said he may have some “P’s” at home and would sell the information for $20 per beneficiary. At a later meeting, Baez brought the CI the names and health insurance claim numbers of 51 Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for $1000.
To read the entire DOJ press release, click here.
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