Florida psychologist Vanja Abreu relinquishes license

October 17, 2013

On May 15, 2013 psychologist Vanja Abreu (aka Vanja Abreu Montero) relinquished her license to the Florida Board of Psychology  in lieu of further administrative actions. She waived all rights to contest or challenge this action and may never again apply for any healthcare license in the state of Florida.

This disciplinary action stemmed from a criminal conviction on health care fraud charges. 

Abreu, the former program director of American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), a Miami-area mental health care company, was among 20 ATC  employees and owners (as well as the company itself) who have been convicted in a $205 million scheme to defraud the U.S. Medicare program.

Evidence at trial revealed that ATC secured patients by paying kickbacks to assisted living facility owners and halfway house owners who would then steer patients to ATC. These patients attended ATC, where they were ineligible for the treatment ATC billed to Medicare and where they did not receive the treatment that was billed. After Medicare paid the claims, some of the co-conspirators then laundered the Medicare money in order to create cash to pay the patient kickbacks.

Abreu was sentenced October 12, 2012 to 108 months in prison, three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $72.7 million in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants.