PA Psychiatrist Harry Doyle to Pay $3 Million to Settle Federal Fraud Charges

April 7, 2022

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia psychiatrist and his wife have agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that they submitted false billing to the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Worker's Compensation for fraudulent psychiatric services.

Harry Doyle and his spouse, Donya Doyle, of Philadelphia, agreed to the settlement in federal court this week in what the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania says is the largest recovery against a single psychiatrist in the history of the Office of Worker's Compensation.

As part of the settlement, the Doyle's also agreed to be voluntarily excluded from federal healthcare programs for a 25-year period.

According to federal prosecutors, in addition to submitting the false billing for services, the couple also "upcoded" and double-billed patients at their psychiatric practice.

The Doyle's had been charged with violating the federal False Claims Act.

According to the federal government, Harry Doyle was a psychiatrist to whom an attorney referred patients receiving federal workers' compensation benefits, many of whom were receiving workers' compensation because of a physical injury and who were later approved for mental health services tied to their physical injuries.

Sonya Doyle worked as her husband's office assistant. She was sole employee of the practice.

Investigators looking into the couple ultimately uncovered the fraudulent scheme, which they say took place from January 2013 through last April.

"Our resolution of this matter and the significant recovery we have obtained from this physician show once again that no matter how complex the fraud scheme is, we will find it, stop it, and punish it," U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a statement. "The alleged falsified documentation that Dr. Doyle created and submitted to OWCP compromised the agency's ability to monitor claimant care and ensure that injured federal workers receive the services they needed."

According to the feds, the Doyle's had allegedly billed for cancelled and no-show appointments as if they had actually occurred, and they "upcoded" or billed for a higher level of service than what was actually provided including billing for more therapy time than spent with the patient.

They also allegedly double-billed patients for initial consultations, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Christopher Algieri, special agent in charge of the Northeast Field Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, said in a statement that fraudulent healthcare billing practices "compromise the federal government's ability to provide quality benefits to deserving individuals."

"The VA OIG is pleased to have worked together with its law enforcement partners to stop this couple from continuing their fraudulent practices," Algieri said in his statement.

Source: “Psychiatrist To Pay $3 Million In False Workers' Comp Claims,” Philadelphia Patch, Mar. 29, 2022, URL: https://patch.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/psychiatrist-pay-3-million-false-workers-comp-claims