Federal Grand Jury Indicts Arnold Doctor in Connection with Healthcare Fraud Scheme Investigation

 According to an announcement by the US Attorney's office, a federal grand jury in Maryland has indicted Dr. Ron Elfenbein, M.D., age 47, of Arnold, Maryland, on three counts of healthcare fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other insurers for patients who received COVID-19 tests at sites operated by the defendant. 

Officials with the Department of Justice said in a press release that Elfenbein owned and operated Drs ERgent Care, LLC, d/b/a First Call Medical Center and Chesapeake ERgent Care.  "Drs ERgent care operated drive-through COVID-19 testing sites in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties," the announcement said. "The indictment alleges that Elfenbein instructed the employees of Drs ERgent Care that, in addition to billing for the COVID-19 test, the employees were to bill for moderately complex office visits, lasting between 30 and 39 minutes for existing patients and between 45 and 59 minutes for new patients, even though Elfenbein knew that the visits lasted five minutes or less."  

 Elfenbein, through Drs ERgent Care, submitted or caused the submission of claims totaling more than $1.5 million to Medicare and other insurers for office visits that were not provided as represented and were ineligible for reimbursement, officials said. 

If convicted, Elfenbein faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each of the three counts of healthcare fraud.