Huntsville Doctor Charged with Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

The United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Alabama, April 8, 2022

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Huntsville doctor has been charged for conspiring to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles.

An information filed yesterday in U.S. District Court charges, Dr. Eric Beck, 63, of Huntsville, Alabama, with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Beck operated Valley Center for Nerve Studies and Rehabilitation in Huntsville.  According to the information, Beck conspired with the owner of QBR, a Huntsville-based testing company, to bill insurers millions of dollars for electro-diagnostic testing that its technicians performed, regardless of whether there was a medical need for them.  Beck billed insurers for tests using his National Provider Identifier (NPI) number, even where he did not conduct the tests, supervise the tests, interpret the test results, or have anything to do with the tests beyond allowing his NPI number to be used for billing purposes.

In a plea agreement also filed yesterday, Dr. Beck agreed to plead guilty to the information.  According to the plea agreement, the defendant caused health insurance programs to be billed over $28 million for medically unnecessary electro-diagnostic testing QBR performed.  Dr. Beck has fully cooperated with the investigative team during its investigation.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit health care fraud is five years in prison.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Long and J.B. Ward are prosecuting it.

An information contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

News article: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/huntsville-doctor-charged-health-care-fraud-conspiracy