Two pain management doctors who pantomimed injections on patients were sentenced to six and a half years apiece for healthcare fraud. Drs. Desi Barroga, 51, and Deno Barroga, 51, were sentenced by US District Judge Brantley Starr, who ordered them jointly and severally liable for $9,016,883.10 in restitution. Under the terms of their plea agreement, both men were also required to forfeit their medical licenses. According to court documents, the twin brothers admitted that they conspired to defraud Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and United Healthcare by submitting claims for corticosteroid injections that were never administered. As part of the conspiracy, the Barrogas required patients to submit to monthly office visits. This allowed patients to continue receiving highly addictive Schedule II controlled substances—including hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine—while allowing the defendants to bill patients’ insurance companies for expensive services they never provided.
The Barrogas reported to insurance that they performed as many as 80 corticosteroid injections per patient per visit. In reality, the majority of these injections were never administered. In many instances, the doctor simply placed a needle on the patient’s body without actually piercing the skin to mimic giving an injection. They defendants created fake medical records, which were often cut and pasted, or cloned, from patient to patient with little to no variation. They also instructed patients to include false statements pertaining to the injections and other treatments in the record. In plea papers, the brothers admitted that they billed insurers at least $45 million and were paid at least $9 million as part of the scheme.
