A Florida man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in connection with a scheme that resulted in the submission of approximately $3.3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing. Ivan Andre Scott, 36, of Kissimmee, was convicted by a federal jury on Jan. 8, 2021, of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, three counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive unlawful healthcare kickbacks, and three counts of receiving unlawful kickbacks. According to court documents, Scott was the owner of Scott Global, a telemarketing call center located in Orlando.
The evidence showed that Scott targeted Medicare beneficiaries with telemarketing phone calls falsely stating that Medicare covered expensive cancer screening genetic testing, or “CGx” tests. Each test cost as much as $6,000. After beneficiaries agreed to take the test, the evidence showed Scott paid unlawful bribes and kickbacks to telemedicine companies to obtain doctor’s orders authorizing the tests. The evidence at trial showed that the telemedicine doctors approved the expensive testing even though they were not treating the beneficiary for cancer or symptoms of cancer, and often without even speaking with the beneficiary. According to the evidence presented at trial, Scott then sold the genetic tests and doctor’s orders to laboratories in exchange for illegal kickbacks. To conceal the illegal kickbacks, Scott submitted invoices to the laboratories and other marketers making it appear as though he were being paid for hourly marketing services, rather than per referral.
