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TRENTON - Attorney General
Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director
Gregory A. Paw announced that a Union County
physician has pleaded guilty to fraudulently
billing a Medicaid-funded managed care organization
more than $9,000 for services never rendered.
According to Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor Greta Gooden Brown, Aruna S.
Patel, 63, of Elizabeth, pleaded guilty
yesterday before Superior Court Judge John
S. Triarsi in Union County to a criminal
accusation charging her with one count of
third-degree Medicaid fraud.
At the guilty plea hearing, Patel, a New
Jersey-licensed physician, admitted that
between September 2003 and June 2005, she
committed Medicaid fraud by submitting false
statements or causing false statements to
be submitted on her behalf. Patel admitted
that she fraudulently submitted bill claims
to Americhoice, falsely stating that certain
patients were treated at her office on 165
treatment dates, when in fact those patients
were neither seen nor treated by Patel on
those days. Americhoice is a managed care
organization which is part of the Medicaid
program. As a result of the fraud, Patel
stole $9,257 in Medicaid health insurance
claims monies.
The investigation into this
matter was conducted by the Office of the
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid
Fraud Control Unit, which investigates and
prosecutes Medicaid fraud. The Medicaid
program, which is funded by the state and
federal governments, provides health care
services and prescription drugs to persons
who may not otherwise be able to afford
such services and medicines
State Investigator Christine
Barclay, Deputy Attorney General Linda A.
Rinaldi and Assistant Attorney General John
Krayniak were assigned to the investigation.
Rinaldi represented the Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor at the guilty plea hearing.
Patel is scheduled to be
sentenced on May 30. Third-degree Medicaid
Fraud carries a maximum punishment of three
years in state prison and a criminal fine
of $10,000.
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