Doctors Defrauding the NY Workers’ Compensation System

Ask anyone about workers’ comp fraud, and there are usually two things that come to mind. Most people assume that fraud is first perpetrated by workers who lie about their injuries and then there are companies that fail to properly insure their workers. What many don’t realize is that everyone in the workers’ comp system has the potential to commit fraud, even doctors.

A recent investigation of a Brooklyn doctor found a shocking case of fraud that spanned five years and defrauded multiple insurers and Medicaid out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this case the doctor, Slobodan Aleksic, worked with unnamed others to basically seek reimbursement from insurers for procedures he did not perform.

Investigators were tipped off to the scheme when workers’ compensation judges complained about Dr. Aleksic and his billing practices. Evidence of fraud was uncovered when evidence emerged that Aleksic had sought reimbursement for more procedures than one doctor could perform in a single day, and when he claimed to have performed procedures when he was actually out of the country.

Aleksic is accused of carrying out a scheme to defraud Medicare and several workers’ comp insurers over a five year period. Defrauded insurers include CNA, Travelers, Liberty Mutual and Zurich American. The total amount of money owed to defrauded companies is in the high six figures according to an investigator.

Dr. Aleksic appeared before a judge in the Federal District Court in Brooklyn to face the charges. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $250,000 bond. Aleksic must remain in the NY metro area and had to surrender his passport in order to be released.

For too long investigators have focused their efforts on hunting down and prosecuting workers who take advantage of the system, but times are finally changing and authorities are going after the real criminals. Consider the impact of the crime: one NY worker was recently accused of defrauding the workers’ comp system out of $3,000, but here we have a doctor with the ability to defraud multiple companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

To be sure, Dr. Aleksic isn’t the only physician gaming the system. Doctors can exaggerate injuries to their advantage, they can overcharge for unnecessary procedures or charge for procedures they don’t perform, and they can minimize or downplay the severity of workers’ injuries to please insurance companies. In all of this working men and women are the real victims, as they don’t receive fair benefits or appropriate medical care for their injuries.

Consider this quote from the president of the Insurance Information Institute, “Doctors’ fraud is a perpetual, multibillion-dollar problem nationally. It’s not a victimless crimes. It’s one of the leading causes for escalation of workers’ compensation costs in many states.”

You can fight back!

Get help from the New York attorneys at Markhoff & Mittman who have dedicated their careers to fighting for injured workers just like you. To discuss your workers’ comp case with a skilled, compassionate attorney for no cost and no obligation then please contact their office today. You can also order their free book, “Five Deadly Sins that Can Derail Your New York Workers Compensation Case”.

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