Doctor Gets 14 Years For Opioid Distribution And Fraud

India-West Staff Reporter

BENSALEM, PA– A Pennsylvania physician has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for orchestrating health care fraud and illegally prescribing opioids in a scheme that defrauded insurers and endangered patients.

Neil K. Anand, M.D., 48, was convicted in April of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of money laundering, four counts of unlawful monetary transactions, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He was ordered to forfeit more than $2 million and pay over $2 million in restitution.

Federal prosecutors said Anand ran a scheme in which his in-house pharmacies dispensed so-called “Goody Bags” filled with unnecessary prescription drugs. To boost patient acceptance of the bags, he also arranged for oxycodone to be distributed outside legitimate medical practice. Unlicensed medical interns allegedly filled out prescriptions using pre-signed prescription pads from Anand.

Court records show Anand personally prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets to just nine patients. Investigators said that once he learned of the federal probe, Anand attempted to hide roughly $1.2 million by moving funds into an account under a relative’s name for the benefit of a minor.

The fraudulent billing targeted Medicare, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Independence Blue Cross, and Anthem, which collectively paid more than $2.4 million in reimbursements, according to trial evidence.

The investigation was led by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob, Patrick J. Campbell, and Arun Bodapati of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Fraud Section.