Indian-origin doctor convicted in U.S. for health care fraud conspiracies

Indian-origin doctor convicted in U.S. for health care fraud, distributing unnecessary medications, and unlawfully distributing controlled substances.

An Indian-origin doctor has been convicted by a U.S. Federal Jury for his participation in conspiracies to commit health care fraud by giving medically unnecessary prescription medications to patients and unlawfully distributing controlled substances.

Neil K. Anand, 48, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, health plans provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Independence Blue Cross (IBC) and Anthem for “Goody Bags” of medically unnecessary prescription medications.

These medications were dispensed to patients by in-house pharmacies owned by Dr. Anand, the Department of Justice said in a statement.

As the evidence at trial showed, the conspirators required patients to take the Goody Bags, which they did not need or want, to receive prescriptions for controlled substances.

In total, Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem paid over $2.3 million for the Goody Bags, the statement said.

Dr. Anand also conspired to distribute oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In furtherance of the conspiracy, unlicensed medical interns wrote prescriptions for controlled substances using blank prescriptions that were pre-signed by Dr. Anand.

Dr. Anand prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets for nine different patients, as part of the scheme.