Post by : Rameen Ariff

New York, Sep 26, 2025: An Indian-origin doctor, Neil K Anand, 48, from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison for orchestrating a large-scale health care fraud, unlawful distribution of controlled drugs, and money laundering, the US Department of Justice announced.

Along with the prison sentence, Anand has been ordered to pay over USD 2 million in restitution and more than USD 2 million in forfeiture.

Anand was convicted in April 2025 for submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Independence Blue Cross (IBC), and Anthem. His scheme involved providing patients with medically unnecessary "Goody Bags" of prescription medications through in-house pharmacies he owned.

The Department of Justice stated that the total reimbursements from Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem exceeded USD 2.4 million. To encourage patients to accept these unnecessary medications, Anand distributed oxycodone outside legitimate medical practice, without a valid medical purpose.

Investigators revealed that unlicensed medical interns wrote prescriptions for controlled substances on blank forms pre-signed by Anand. In total, Anand prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets to nine patients. When he realized he was under investigation, he transferred approximately USD 1.2 million into accounts held by relatives to hide the proceeds.

Anand was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of money laundering, four counts of unlawful monetary transactions, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

This case highlights ongoing challenges in health care fraud prevention and controlled substance regulation in the United States.

#world news