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Judi Lynn

(160,219 posts)
Sat Sep 23, 2017, 07:15 PM Sep 2017

Doctor admits signing phony prescriptions as part of scheme

Source: Associated Press


Updated 12:49 pm, Saturday, September 23, 2017

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a New Jersey doctor has admitted signing prescriptions for patients he never saw as part of a scheme that cheated the state's health benefits programs and other insurers out of nearly $25 million.

John Gaffney, a 55-year-old Linwood resident whose medical practice is in Margate, pleaded guilty Friday to health care fraud. He faces up to 10 years in prison when he's sentenced Jan. 5.

Authorities say Gaffney sold phony prescriptions for unnecessary compound medications.

The scam ran from January 2015 to April 2016. Authorities say the conspirators persuaded people in New Jersey to obtain the very expensive medications from an out-of-state pharmacy.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Doctor-admits-signing-phony-prescriptions-as-part-12223198.php



Margate doctor admits $24 million prescription-fraud scheme
NICHOLAS HUBA & ERIN SERPICO Staff Writers 3 hrs ago

CAMDEN — A Margate doctor admitted Friday morning to more than $24 million in prescription fraud in connection with a large-scale federal investigation.

John Gaffney, 55, of Linwood, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health-benefits fraud before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler. Gaffney admitted he signed more than 200 fraudulent prescriptions for teachers, police and firefighters, resulting in fraud of more than $24 million.

Gaffney’s is the sixth guilty plea in the past month related to this widespread investigation. It is the first to involve a doctor.

. . .

The prescriptions included those for compounded pain creams, scar creams, antifungal creams, libido creams and certain vitamin combinations. In exchange, the doctors would receive kickbacks from an out-of-state compounding pharmacy and pay co-conspirators.

More:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/margate-doctor-joins-guilty-pleas-in-federal-drug-fraud-investigation/article_bf3c6fd8-3ac0-5a16-851d-d92723ac7e59.html
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Doctor admits signing phony prescriptions as part of scheme (Original Post) Judi Lynn Sep 2017 OP
Isn't auto repair the same scam? bucolic_frolic Sep 2017 #1
Not until our government implements Medicar. nt JustABozoOnThisBus Sep 2017 #4
LOL bucolic_frolic Sep 2017 #5
It only takes 200 prescriptions to generate $24M in fraud? I'm in the wrong business. truthisfreedom Sep 2017 #2
24M divided by 200 prescriptions is $120,000 per? truthisfreedom Sep 2017 #6
Link to the DoJ PR nitpicker Sep 2017 #3

truthisfreedom

(23,113 posts)
2. It only takes 200 prescriptions to generate $24M in fraud? I'm in the wrong business.
Sun Sep 24, 2017, 04:11 AM
Sep 2017

I truly haven't been paying attention to making money the American way.

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