NEW YORK – The US Department of Justice said Tuesday that a Florida lab owner has pleaded guilty to his role in defrauding Medicare by billing for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests and genetic tests that were ineligible for reimbursement.
According to the government, Robert Clark, the owner of Clear Choice Diagnostics, and his co-conspirators submitted roughly $30 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which Medicare paid approximately $15 million.
Clark and his co-conspirators illegally purchased Medicare beneficiary identification numbers and used those numbers to bill Medicare for OTC COVID-19 tests. They also paid kickbacks and bribes to marketers in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries for genetic tests.
Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, to pay illegal healthcare kickbacks, and to purchase Medicare beneficiary identification numbers without lawful authority. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.