GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Coldwater psychologist allegedly bilked health insurance companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by billing them for hundreds of counseling sessions that never happened.
George Compton Jr. made off with more than $250,000 in the health insurance fraud scheme, according to a criminal complaint that the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed in federal court on Monday.
The criminal complaint says the case involved “numerous patients” that Compton lied about treating, but provided details about only two of them.
Authorities say that between January 2013 and August 2014, Compton billed Blue Cross Blue Shield and Trustmark Insurance for 280 appointments — at $129 per session — for one patient. He had actually seen that patient only about 40 times. Four of the fake sessions were allegedly dated during a time Compton was taking a trip to Pittsburgh.
Compton also allegedly billed BCBS for 161 sessions — at $130 each — between 2013 and 2015 for another patient even though he had seen that person fewer than 30 times. According to the criminal complaint, Compton listed one of the fake sessions on a date the patient had actually been in a medically induced coma in the hospital.
Authorities say that when anyone noticed the fraudulent billings, Compton would say they were because of an honest mistake or a billing software problem and would reimburse the companies.
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