Florida Psychologist Charles Gerardi Charged with Conspiracy, Fraud, and Obstruction of a Federal Audit

The largest health care fraud enforcement action in Department of Justice history resulted in several defendants charged for alleged participation in various fraud schemes, including health care fraud. Amongst the charged is psychologist Charles Gerardi.

 

According to court documents, Gerardi is a licensed psychologist contracted with nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to provide psychological services to residents. For years, Gerardi impermissibly billed Medicare for providing medically unnecessary psychotherapy to Medicare beneficiaries.

 

An audit was initiated on Gerardi’s practices in 2012. Gerardi tried to obstruct the audit by creating phony patient records and providing those records to the auditor. Finally, when Gerardi was placed on prepayment review for the 20-minute billing code, Gerardi changed his submitted billing code to reflect 45-minute sessions but continued to provide patients only 20-minute sessions.  

 

Gerardi was charged with conspiracy, health care fraud, and obstruction of a federal audit. 

 

"National Healthcare Fraud Takedown Results In Charges Against 601 Individuals Responsible For Over $2 Billion In Fraud Losses Largest Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action in Department of Justice History Resulted in 76 Doctors Charged and 84 Opioid Cases Involving More Than 13 Million Illegal Doses of Opioids; 21 Defendants Charged in Connection to MDFL," Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office, 28 June 2018, https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/national-healthcare-fraud-takedown-results-charges-against-601-individuals-responsible