Doctors Indicted for Allegedly Filing $2.3M in Fraudulent Insurance Claims

A federal grand jury has indicted two doctors in Potomac on charges of health care fraud totaling $2.3 million.

Licenced physician Paramjit Singh Ajrawat, 60, and his wife Sukhveen Kaur Ajrawat, 56, a licensed psychiatrist, face 16 counts of indictment for falsely billing insurance companies.

The husband and wife have owned and operated the Washington Pain Management Center in Greenbelt since 1985, according to WJLA TV. Paramjit Ajrawat treated physical pain, while Sukhveen worked with patients dealing with mental concerns.

An FBI news release states that from August 2008 through May 2014, the Ajrawats performed lower-cost procedures in lieu of the more expensive ones they filed for reimbursement to insurance benefit programs including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program. For example, the indictment alleges Paramjit Ajrawat performed an epidural when he had used a less invasive injection using licodaine.

An independent auditor first noted the large number of epidural claims, WJLA reports. Investigators were not able to see the epidural machine when they visited the clinic. Sukhveen Ajrawat reportedly said the machine was in a screening room with a patient. She later sent investigators a lease agreement for the machine, but prosecutors say the document was forged.

WJLA reports in order to cover the scheme, the Ajrawats allegedly instructed employees to lie to the police and also shredded patient files.

Both physicians retained their medical license as of Friday, but still face the 16 counts of healthcare fraud. Each carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.