Anesthesiologist Charged with Telemedicine Fraud

A New York anesthesiologist was indicted on July 9 for conspiring with pharmacies and medical equipment suppliers to defraud the Medicare program and other insurers. Anna Steiner, also known as Hanna Wasielewska, allegedly wrote prescriptions for drugs and durable medical equipment for patients supposedly seen via telemedicine without ever having actually examined or evaluated the patients.

The participants in the scheme, which began in 2015, submitted over $7 million in illicit claims for DME on behalf of more than 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare paid reimbursements of over $3 million and Steiner and other providers allegedly received kickbacks for their participation in the scheme.