Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Robert Tassin, MD, age 64, of Slidell, Louisiana, was charged March 10, 2025, with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic (“CGx”) tests. According to the bill of information, Tassin worked as an independent contractor for several purported telemedicine companies. From approximately February through September of 2019, Tassin, through the purported telemedicine companies, allegedly signed doctors’ orders for CGx tests for Medicare beneficiaries he never saw, spoke to, or otherwise treated. As a result, it is alleged that Tassin ‘s orders resulted in over $6.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, of which Medicare reimbursed over $2 million.
To conceal and perpetuate the fraud, Tassin allegedly made several false and fraudulent statements in support of the orders he submitted, including falsely certifying in medical records that the CGx tests were medically necessary for the patients’ treatment. In exchange for electronically reviewing patient charts and ordering CGx tests, it is alleged that Tassin was paid a set fee per doctor’s order, typically $30, totaling $106,757.
