Long Island Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to $1 Million Health Care Fraud

 

The Defendant Billed an Insurance Company over $1 million for Acupuncture Services That Were Never Provided

 Peter Adamczak, a licensed chiropractor operating in East Meadow, Long Island, pleaded guilty to health care fraud in connection with billing a private insurance company over $1 million for acupuncture services that were never performed.  The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Michael Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Lucy Lang, Inspector General of New York State, announced the guilty plea.

“Adamczak bilked an insurance company for acupuncture services that he never performed, brazenly lying in order to line his own pockets with money that he did not earn,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “As a health care professional, Adamczak was required to uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity, and failed both miserably.  This Office will continue to hold healthcare providers accountable for fraud and abuse.” 

“False medical claims jeopardize the wellbeing of sick and injured New Yorkers and drive-up costs for all of us,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “Thank you to our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their partnership in protecting the integrity of our healthcare system.” The IG thanked Deputy Inspector General, Long Island Office Jean Carsey, Director of Audit for the Downstate Office Giovaani Liotine, Investigative Auditor Angelus Okeke, and Investigator Mario Rubino for their work on the investigation.

According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, from 2016 to 2020, Adamczak submitted over $1 million in fraudulent claims for reimbursement to a private insurance company.  Adamczak was not licensed to perform acupuncture, but claimed that the services were rendered by an unaffiliated acupuncturist who leased office space from the defendant.  Neither the unaffiliated acupuncturist nor Adamczak performed the billed acupuncture services.  Based on Adamczak’s fraudulent claims, the private insurance company paid approximately $994,838.16 in reimbursements to its beneficiaries who, in turn, delivered the payments to Adamczak.  In one case, a beneficiary who was a relative of Adamczak deposited the reimbursement checks to their personal bank account and kept the funds.