Judge declares mistrial in $4 million wheelchair fraud case
Compliance Monitor, April 6, 2005
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Prosecutors are planning to retry a Houston-area physician after a judge declared a mistrial in a case alleging that he schemed to defraud Medicare and Medicaid through the prescriptions of unnecessary motorized wheelchairs, the Houston Chronicle reported April 4.
All but one juror voted to convict Dr. Anant Mauskar on charhges that he prescribed and billed for $4 million in unneeded wheelchairs, accepted kickbacks, and billed for services he never performed, the Chronicle reported.
"This is an important case, an important case for the Medicare system, an important case for Dr. Mauskar, and an important case for the taxpayers of the United States," U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby told the Chronicle. "The allegations are too substantial to allow the case to go unresolved."
The jury in this case also found Dr. Mauskar's office manager, Nadine Norman, not guilty on 22 counts of healthcare fraud and accepting kickbacks. A new trial date has not been set for Dr. Mauskar.
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