Key Points:
Kansas anesthesiologist Scott Taggart Roethle sentenced to 3 years in federal prison
Ordered to pay $8.3 million restitution in Medicare fraud case
Scheme involved telemarketing operations and overseas call centers
Doctor received about $674,000 in kickbacks for approving brace orders
Fraudulent prescriptions led to more than $8 million in Medicare payments
A Kansas anesthesiologist has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for his role in a large Medicare fraud scheme that caused more than $8 million in losses to the federal health insurance program.
Dr. Scott Taggart Roethle, 48, was sentenced on March 6, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry in federal court in St. Louis, Missouri. The court also ordered him to pay $8.3 million in restitution.
Roethle previously pleaded guilty in April 2025 to one count of health care fraud for participating in a scheme that involved approving medically unnecessary orthotic braces and other medical products for Medicare beneficiaries.
According to federal prosecutors, the scheme operated between 2017 and 2020 and relied on telemarketing operations, including overseas call centers, to contact elderly Medicare beneficiaries.
Callers persuaded patients to accept orthotic braces and collected their Medicare information. The information was then sent to telemedicine physicians, including Roethle, who approved orders for the equipment.
Authorities said Roethle often approved the orders without examining the patients, speaking to them, or establishing a legitimate doctor patient relationship.
In many cases, the doctor falsely certified that he had examined and diagnosed the patients before prescribing the braces.
Once the prescriptions were signed, brace suppliers shipped the orthotic devices directly to patients, and billing companies submitted claims to Medicare for reimbursement.
In return for signing the orders, Roethle received illegal kickback payments from companies involved in the scheme.
Court documents show he typically received about $30 for each order he approved, ultimately collecting approximately $674,000 from five companies.
Roethle issued thousands of brace orders, enabling companies involved in the operation to bill Medicare for equipment that many patients did not need.
As a result of the fraudulent prescriptions, Medicare paid more than $8 million in claims, investigators said.
The case was investigated by several federal agencies, including:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Wiseman and Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Ashley L. Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge for HHS OIG, said the case highlights how healthcare professionals who misuse their medical authority can cause serious financial harm to federal healthcare programs.
Officials said the fraudulent scheme exploited vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries and drained millions of dollars from a program meant to provide legitimate medical care.
Reference:
U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. “Kansas Doctor Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for $8 Million Medicare Fraud.” Press release, March 6, 2026.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/kansas-doctor-sentenced-3-years-prison-8-million-medicare-fraud