Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Robert Tassin, MD, age 64, of Slidell, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic (“CGx”) tests. According to court documents, Tassin worked for several purported telemedicine companies. From approximately February through September of 2019, Tassin, through the purported telemedicine companies, signed doctors’ orders for CGx tests for Medicare beneficiaries he never saw, spoke to, or otherwise treated. As a result, Tassin’s orders resulted in over $6.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, of which Medicare reimbursed over $2 million.
To conceal and perpetuate the fraud, Tassin made several false and fraudulent statements in support of the orders he submitted, including falsely certifying in medical records that the CGx tests were medically necessary for the patients’ treatment. In exchange for electronically reviewing patient charts and ordering CGx tests, Tassin was paid a set fee per doctor’s order, typically $30. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Tassin agreed to forfeit the $106,757 that he received and to pay restitution of over $2 million to Medicare.