Key takeaway:
- Joseph Rodriguez, 50, was convicted of health care fraud for a $15.7 million COVID-19 testing scheme targeting elderly patients.
- Nearly 2,000 patients were subjected to unnecessary blood tests, with Medicare paying more than $500,000 in fraudulent claims.
- Rodriguez faces up to 10 years in prison per charge and is scheduled for sentencing in January 2027.
A federal jury convicted Coral Springs resident Joseph Rodriguez in a COVID-19 Testing Fraud scheme involving $15.7 million in Medicare claims.
Rodriguez Targeted Elderly Patients At Country Clubs
Rodriguez, 50, was found guilty Oct. 6 of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six substantive counts of health care fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.
According to court documents, Rodriguez owned and operated Phoenix Health Rising, LLC, with an unidentified individual. He organized drive-through COVID-19 testing events at nine residential country clubs in the West Palm Beach area during a four-month period in 2020.
The events were marketed to residents seeking COVID-19 nasal swab and blood antibody tests. But prosecutors said patients who signed up for those services were also subjected to tens or hundreds of additional blood tests they did not request or need.
The additional tests included hormone testing and tests for metals such as arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Prosecutors said the tests were not ordered by doctors as required.
Medicare Paid More Than $500,000 In Claims
The Justice Department said Rodriguez directed employees to draw additional blood from patients and caused a doctor’s name to be fraudulently listed on Medicare claims.
The scheme involved nearly 2,000 patients and resulted in Medicare being billed $15.7 million. The COVID-19 Testing Fraud resulted in Medicare paying more than $500,000 on fraudulent claims.
Evidence presented during the trial included complaints from patients, doctors and country club managers. They questioned why residents were receiving additional blood tests when they had requested only COVID-19 testing.
The trial began Sept. 30 in federal court. The jury’s verdict came after prosecutors presented evidence concerning the testing events and the claims submitted to Medicare.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said the case showed how Rodriguez exploited patients during the pandemic.
“The defendant took advantage of patients desperate for COVID-19 tests at the height of the pandemic to bill Medicare for unnecessary blood tests,” McDonald said in a Justice Department statement.
Rodriguez Faces Federal Prison Time
McDonald said the conduct occurred during a global health crisis and vowed continued enforcement against similar schemes.
“Such egregious conduct in the face of a global pandemic cannot stand and will be prosecuted,” McDonald said. He added that the Fraud Division remains committed to holding perpetrators accountable.
Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2027. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each charge, according to the Justice Department.
WPBF 25 News contacted Rodriguez’s attorney for comment and reported that a response was pending. No statement from Rodriguez or his attorney was included in the information provided for this report.
