The 61-year-old is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12.
ATLANTA – A former Georgia insurance commissioner has pleaded guilty to a health care fraud scheme involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks, authorities announced.
John Oxendine pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. They said Oxendine conspired with others to submit fraudulent insurance claims for unnecessary medical tests to a Texas testing company in exchange for money.
“This system of billing for unnecessary services has no place in our nation’s health care system,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley. “This not only increased medical costs for all of the beneficiaries, but also undermined patient trust. John Oxendine not only profited from this scheme, he went a step further and used it to cover up the fraud. directed another person to lie to federal officials.”
A Texas lab has filed an insurance claim seeking more than $2.5 million in payments from private health insurance companies for unnecessary tests, officials said.
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The insurance company paid the institute nearly $700,000 for fraudulent claims. The institute then paid Oxendine and his co-conspirator doctor $260,000 in kickbacks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“As a former statewide insurance commissioner, John Oxendine recognized the importance of honest dealings between physicians and insurance companies,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “But he deliberately colluded with doctors for personal gain and ordered hundreds of unnecessary laboratory tests that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.” He will be held accountable for betraying him.”
The 61-year-old Johns Creek resident is scheduled to be sentenced July 12 at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones.
