The United States Attorney’s Office announced on Mar. 25 that it has filed a lawsuit under the False Claims Act against Dr. Alexandria Williams, an Illinois-based physician, for allegedly causing the submission of fraudulent claims to Medicare involving durable medical equipment.
According to the complaint, Williams is accused of signing orders for orthotic braces between December 2018 and April 2019 for Medicare beneficiaries whom she never examined and who often did not want or need the devices. The government alleges these orders were pre-filled based on telemarketing calls and included false statements such as claims that Williams had evaluated patients, discussed orthotics with them, and provided follow-up care instructions.
The complaint further states that Williams generally did not contact the beneficiaries herself nor maintained any medical relationship with them. At the time of these actions, she was licensed in Massachusetts and ordered braces for beneficiaries in that state. The lawsuit also alleges that Williams received payment per order through a staffing company connected to Integrated Support Plus, Inc., a telemedicine company whose owner pleaded guilty in 2020 to involvement in a similar scheme.
Officials say these allegedly improper orders led DME suppliers to submit claims resulting in approximately $630,000 paid by Medicare for unnecessary equipment. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General made this announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross from Foley’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit are handling the case.
Authorities emphasize that all claims outlined are allegations only at this stage, with no determination yet made regarding liability.