A Macomb County hearing aid dealer pleaded guilty in federal court in Detroit on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud. This follows the conviction on the same charge on March 18, 2020, of a hearing aid salesman who worked for the dealer. Rasko “Ron” Djordjevic, 44, and Milija “Mike” Perkovic, 28, each pleaded guilty to one count charged in an Indictment, involving a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. The evidence revealed that from February 2015 to April 2017, Djordjevic owned and operated Sterling Hearing Care, Inc., which was marketed as a hearing aid business with multiple locations in Southeast Michigan. Perkovic, who is Djordjevic’s brother in law, worked as a salesman conducting hearing evaluations and selling hearing aids under Djordjevic’s direction. During that time, Djordjevic and Perkovic executed a scheme to defraud Blue Cross Blue Shield into paying fraudulent claims of more than $600,000 for hearing aid products and services. Blue Cross had certain requirements before it would pay a claim for a hearing aid device. At times, Djordjevic and Perkovic caused Blue Cross to be billed for hearing aids and services that were not provided or were unauthorized, including billing Blue Cross for two hearing aids when only one was provided, or billing Blue Cross for hearing aids that were not ordered or provided to customers who had come in for a “free” hearing test. At times, Djordjevic and Perkovic sold hearing aids and services to customers that were not medically necessary, including customers who had no or only slight hearing loss.
