Doc faces charges related to DME scheme 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte doctor is facing federal charges for her role in a DME scheme that defrauded federal benefits programs of more than $11 million, according to the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of North Carolina. Sudipta Mazumder, 46, is charged with one count of health care fraud and six counts of making false statements relating to health care matters. According to allegations contained in the indictment, during 2019 and 2020, Mazumder was a doctor in Charlotte who worked as an independent contractor for a Delaware-based telemedicine company. During that time frame, Mazumder allegedly signed fraudulent orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, specifically knee braces, resulting in the submission of thousands of fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare and TRICARE totaling approximately $11,436,873. The indictment alleges that Mazumder falsely stated in those orders that she performed medical examinations of Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries and falsely certified that the braces were medically necessary. According to allegations, Mazumder never examined the beneficiaries. Instead, Mazumder allegedly had little or no interaction with the beneficiaries and made no medical determination whether the devices were medically necessary or the beneficiaries needed the DME. Mazumder allegedly received from the telemedicine company unsigned orders for orthopedic braces for the beneficiaries, which she signed and returned to the telemedicine company in exchange for $20 for each purported assessment that she performed. The health care fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false statements relating to health care matters carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per count.