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Nassau County resident Melissa Panayiota Kanes, age 50, of New Hyde Park, was arrested on Tuesday, March 16, and charged with health care fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to submit more than $800,000 in fraudulent health care claims, said Audrey Strauss, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
In addition, authorities say Kane also used the identities of three per diem chiropractors when submitting claims in an effort to hide her association with the claims.
According to the allegations in the complaint between 2014 and 2016, Kanes submitted a high volume of insurance claims to one of the largest private health insurance companies in the country that served various health plans.
After filing so many claims, the insurer flagged Kanes for improper billing and ceased or slowed payments but Kanes allegedly continued to submit claims, including under the other chiropractor's names, officials said.
The claims to the one insurer alone totaled more than $800,000, the complaint said.
Along with major insurer, Kanes also submitted claims to other private health insurance companies during the relevant time period. At least some set of those claims were also false. In particular, on certain dates for which Kanes claimed to have provided the services billed, she was traveling outside the U.S
Officials believe there could be additional victims and are encouraging anyone who believes they were a victim of Kanes's to contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900, or Wendy.Olsen@usdoj.gov.
If found guilty, Kanes faces more than 30 years in jail.
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