Melville Doctor Accused of Medicare Fraud

A Melville man is one of three Long Island doctors  accused Thursday of committing fraud in what federal prosecutors said was a kickback scheme that cheated Medicare and Medicaid of as much as $163 million.

The Justice Department said that the charges were part of its national investigation into fraud that has led to 601 people being charged with fraud that prosecutors said estimated as up to $2 billion. The Long Islanders were part of a larged New York area ring of 13 people, prosecutors said. The charges were filed in federal court in Brooklyn and Central Islip.

Hal Abrahamson, 55, of Melville, Abraham Demoz, 48, of Oceanside and Yong Jun Kim, 48, of Roslyn were the three Long Island doctors who were charged.

Abrahamson, a licensed podiatrist, was charged with one count of health care fraud. The charges stem from a scheme in which Dr. Abrahamson submitted claims to Medicare and private insurance companies for procedures he did not perform, including skin grafts and wound 5 packing, among other false billings. Between 2013 and 2017, Abrahamson caused a loss of approximately $869,000 to the Medicare program and other insurers, prosecutors said.

Abrahamson was arraigned and pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley at the federal courthouse in Central Islip on Tuesday. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

“As alleged, the defendants charged throughout the Eastern District of New York as a part of the nationwide health care takedown abused their positions to enrich themselves, while bilking Medicare and Medicaid,” U.S. prosecutor Richard P. Donoghue said. “They did so without regard to the elderly and vulnerable citizens whose health depends upon these essential programs. Licensed medical professionals and others who cheat the system will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

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