BAY CITY (WWJ) - A Bay County vascular surgeon pled guilty to insurance fraud on Wednesday after stealing $19.5 million from Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Special agents on the case said that Dr. Vasso Godiali, 59, was accused of billing the three medical insurers for procedures he did not preform. Agents said Godiali had been submitting the false billing for over 13 years and pocketing apporximently $19.5 million.
According to the plea agreement, the doctor submitted claims for positioning stents in dialysis patients and for treating arterial blood clots -- none of which he actually preformed. The depth of his deception went as far as the Godiali submitting claims for placing several stents in the same blood vessel and falsifying medical records to justify the need for his claims to insurance companies.
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“The scale of Dr. Godiali’s fraud is stunning and his willingness to illegally enrich himself at the expense of our district’s taxpayers and policyholders is egregious,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.
“Brazen schemes like this have no place in our district, and today’s guilty plea reflects my office’s commitment to holding medical providers accountable when they abuse society’s trust by engaging in such misconduct.”
The investigation into Godiali was handled by Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI, with assistance from Michigan Attorney General’s Office, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General.
Josh P. Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, joined Ison in Wednesday's announcement, condemning Godiali's fraud scheme and calling it a violation of the doctor's patients.
“Today’s guilty plea should send a clear message to all health care providers that health care fraud is a federal crime that carries serious consequences and will not be tolerated,” said Josh P. Hauxhurst
Hauzhurst vowed to continue to work alongside state, federal and private partnerships to identify medical providers involved in fraud schemes and bring them to justice.
Godiali is due to be sentenced on Sept. 15. He faces up to ten years in prison and must pay back $19.5 million to Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Godiali is also involved in a pending forfeiture case where just under $40 million was seized by authorities from accounts under the doctor's control.
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