An Indian-origin man has been placed on a federal fugitive list in the United States after being accused of defrauding the Medicare program. Authorities allege that he submitted fraudulent claims for genetic tests, amounting to a total of $93 million. This case highlights ongoing concerns regarding fraudulent activities within healthcare programs.
The department added that the 46-year-old allegedly used physicians’ personal identifying information without their knowledge or consent to submit claims for genetic tests for beneficiaries with whom the doctors had no treatment relationship. Over the course of the conspiracy, Mohammed used American Premier to submit approximately $93 million in alleged fraudulent Medicare claims, resulting in Medicare paying at least $65 million. In one 10-day period in 2023 alone, Medicare paid approximately $13 million for suspected fraudulent claims.
The US department of health and human services said Khadeer Khan Mohammed allegedly submitted, or directed others to submit, claims that were ineligible for reimbursement, were not requested by authorised medical providers, or were not provided as represented. The department said his possible whereabouts are believed to be in Hyderabad, India. The tests were neither ordered by the physicians nor used in the beneficiaries’ care.
Investigation underway
The authorities have also reported seizing nearly $6 million from bank accounts allegedly controlled by Mohammed, according to Wealth of Geeks. He was born on July 5, 1980, stands around five feet ten inches tall, and weighs roughly 170 pounds, according to his federal fugitive profile. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the agency’s fugitive hotline at 888-476-4453 or file a fugitive sighting report.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Mohammed owned American Premier Labs LLC in Richardson, Texas. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the HHS OIG investigated the case, and the criminal case is being handled by prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
