Owner of Florida HIV infusion clinic pleads guilty to $23 million health care fraud

MIAMI, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) – The owner of a Florida HIV infusion clinic on Thursday pleaded guilty to a $23 million health care fraud case scheme, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said.

Flor Crisologo, 58, was the owner and operator of J&F Community Medical Center Inc. located in in Miami, Florida. She was originally charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in May.

The defendant admitted to have submitted approximately $23 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for HIV injection and infusion services allegedly provided by J&F. In order to successfully operate her fraud scheme, Crisologo hired a physician at J&F.

The physician and others conspired with Crisologo to order unnecessary tests, sign false medical analyses and diagnosis forms, and authorize treatments to make it appear that medical services were provided to Medicare beneficiaries.

The fraudulently billed services included medically unnecessary injection and infusion therapies. J&F paid Medicare beneficiaries kickbacks to induce the patients to claim they received legitimate services at the clinic when in fact the HIV infusion services were neither provided nor medically necessary.

Crisologo will be sentenced on November 23. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. She also faces forfeiture of property or proceeds and fines for her criminal activities.

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