Physicians overstated amount of time nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) spent with patients [NV]
Posted about 9 years ago by Nicholas M Perrino
"Doctors overstated the amount of time the nurse anesthetists spent with patients, pocketing about 9 percent of the reimbursement.
Between January 2005 and February 2008, Desai and Rushing conspired to overcharge Medicare, Medicaid, and other private health insurance companies at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada by significantly overstating the amount of time the certified registered nurse anesthetists spent with patients on a given procedure.
Desai and Rushing created a separate company, Healthcare Business Solutions, owned by Rushing, to handle the billing for the anesthesia services, according to the U.S. Attorney. This company received about 9 percent of all money collected for anesthesia services rendered at the endoscopy center.
Desai and Rushing also put intense pressure on the endoscopy center employees to schedule and treat as many patients as possible in a day, and instructed the nurse anesthetists to overstate in their records the amount of time they spent on the anesthesia procedures, the charges state. Desai and Rushing also instructed the office staff to rely on the false anesthesia records when preparing the claims for reimbursement which were sent to Medicare, Medicaid and the insurance companies, according to the plea."