RI Doctor’s License Revoked After He Pled Guilty to Nearly $2 Million in Medicare Fraud
GoLocalProv News Team
RI Doctor’s License Revoked After He Pled Guilty to Nearly $2 Million in Medicare Fraud
On Wednesday, RIDOH revoked the license of Steven Powell — who was licensed to practice psychiatry in Rhode Island since 2018 — after they had received a report in 2023 regarding his guilty plea under the United States Department of Justice — in New Hampshire.
The reporting party was the "Citizens Commission on Human Rights" -- a nonprofit which calls itself a "mental health watchdog."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to RIDOH, the Board’s Investigative Committee took up the matter in February 2024, when it “reviewed criminal pleadings filed against Dr. Powell in U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire” where “criminal information charged [Powell] with one felony count of health care fraud in connection with a scheme in which he was paid to approve false claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment.”
Medicare paid more than $760,000 on the false claims, and Powell pled guilty to one count of felony healthcare fraud.
The revocation order signed by the Rhode Island Medical Licensure and Discipline Board on Wednesday also pointed to the State of Kansas revoking Powell’s license in December 2023 for the New Hampshire felony conviction.
About New Hampshire Case
On May 24, 2023, the U.S. Attorney in the District of New Hampshire released the following regarding Powell.
“A former New Hampshire doctor pleaded guilty today in federal court to health care fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by prescribing durable medical equipment without ever seeing, speaking to, or otherwise examining patients, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Steven Powell, 53, of Alpharetta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for August 30, 2023. Powell was charged via Information on April 27, 2023.
Powell agreed to electronically sign orders for durable medical equipment (DME), such as knee and ankle braces, that he knew were used to submit more than $1.9 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. Powell received kickbacks in exchange for each doctor’s order he signed authorizing DME that were not medically necessary, and not legitimately prescribed.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.