The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

State News

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. To join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address. Once you do, your comments will post automatically. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
June 29, 2009

'Alternative Medicine' clinic operator sentenced for health care fraud

ATLANTA — Chaunsay Beckwith, 46, of Tucker, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Marvin H. Shoob to serve nearly five years in federal prison on a charge of health care fraud.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case, “Hyperbaric chambers have a number of legitimate medical uses, as varied as helping burn victims and scuba divers in their recovery. This defendant turned a hyperbaric chamber into a scheme for generating over a million dollars in fraudulent claims. Health care fraud raises the costs of health care for everyone, and those responsible for such fraud may end up prison like this defendant.”

Beckwith was sentenced to four years, eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, ordered to pay $1,035,144 in restitution, and perform 50 hours of community service. Beckwith pleaded guilty to the charge on April 7, 2009.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and other information presented in court: Between 2003 and 2007, Beckwith, an owner/operator who does not hold any type of medical license, provided hyperbaric oxygen therapy to numerous patients in her clinic, International Alternative Medicine, Inc., located at 4450 Hugh Howell Road, in Tucker. None of the patients were diagnosed with medical conditions that made them eligible to receive payments from health care benefit programs. Beckwith submitted $1,577,827 in claims to insurance companies and Medicare, which included false diagnosis codes that enabled her to fraudulently receive $1,035,144 in payments for the hyperbaric chamber treatments.

This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney David E. McClernan prosecuted the case.

Text Only
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
AP Video
Syrian Boy Speaks Out, Survives Family Massacre Judge Tells John Edwards Jury: Keep Deliberating House Rejects Sex-selection Abortion Ban Bush, Obama on Stage Together Share Laughs SpaceX Dragon Returns to Earth Warming Gas Levels Hit 'Troubling Milestone' Youngest-ever Speller Disappointed by Mistake 2 American Tourists Kidnapped in Egypt Chen Guangcheng: 'Historic Transition' in China New York City Seeks Big Drink Ban Los Angeles Bans Plastic Grocery Bags Raw Video: SpaceX Dragon Leaves Space Station Police: Gunman Kills 5, Self in Seattle Experts: Americans Must Prepare for Storm Season Forest Fire Becomes New Mexico's Largest Ever Montreal Police: Mailed Body Parts From Same Man Facebook Expands Campus As Stock Shrinks