A FILIPINO-CANADIAN physician and permanent US resident has been found guilty on 10 counts of health care fraud totaling $20.7 million, according to the US Department of Justice.
The US DOJ said Alexander Baldonado, 68, of Queens, New York was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; six counts of health care fraud; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and solicit health care kickbacks; and one count of solicitation of health care kickbacks.
Court documents said Baldonado received cash kickbacks from a laboratory representative and others in exchange for approving orders for laboratory tests billed to Medicare.
As part of the scheme, Baldonado also allegedly participated in COVID-19 testing events during which he authorized COVID-19 tests as well as “expensive and medically unnecessary” cancer genetic tests that patients did not request, that were not used in the patient’s treatment, and for which the patients rarely received the results.
Baldonado also allegedly billed Medicare for lengthy office visits that he never provided to these patients.
In addition, Baldonado also engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by soliciting and receiving cash kickbacks and bribes from an owner of a durable medical equipment supply company in exchange for ordering orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation spearheaded the investigation of the cases while assistant chief Rebecca Yuan and trial attorney Hyungjoo Han of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Baldonado has been remanded to the US Marshals Service to ensure his appearance at his sentencing set on June 26 this year. He could possibly serve up to 10 years in prison for each count.
The US DOJ said the probe on Baldonado was part of its Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program.
It said that since March 2007, the program has charged over 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion.
