Helen Boerman, 48 of Brentwood, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to her role in defrauding Medicare out of $6.9 million, announced United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. According to court documents, over a period of three-and-a-half years, Boerman, an optometric physician, used her practice, Brentwood Eye Care, to submit false claims to Medicare. As an enrolled provider, she submitted false claims seeking reimbursements from Medicare for new wound care products she had not actually purchased or used because she split wound care products intended for single use. For example, in May 2022, Boerman, through Brentwood Eye Care, submitted claims to Medicare on behalf of two patients who were Medicare beneficiaries for placement of wound care products on May 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, when the appointment data showed that the patients had appointments on May 20, 24 and 27 only.
Boerman directed the staff at Brentwood Eye Care to create false records for the other dates to support the services fraudulently billed to Medicare. In addition to her fraudulent Medicare claims, Boerman also made false claims between March 2020 and October 2024 to TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid agency, and Federal Employees Health Benefits Programs.