Anchorage doctor sentenced to 6.5 years in prison
Fraud scheme worth $12.5 million
Over $4.2 million in tax losses to IRS
Patients misled about treatments and medications
Husband co-managed clinic and aided fraud
An Anchorage-based doctor has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for orchestrating a massive $12.5 million health care fraud and tax evasion scheme, U.S. authorities confirmed.
Dr. Claribel Tan, 61, received the sentence along with three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges tied to fraudulent medical billing and tax violations.
Her husband, Daniel Tan, 70, who co-managed the clinic, was also implicated in the long-running scheme.
According to court documents, the couple operated a rheumatology clinic in Anchorage, where Dr. Tan treated patients suffering from autoimmune and musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis.
Authorities said the duo engaged in a decades-long fraud that involved submitting false and inflated claims to health care benefit programs.
They allegedly:
Billed insurers for medications and services that were misrepresented
Deceived patients about the drugs being administered
Collected millions through fraudulent reimbursements
The scheme ultimately generated approximately $12.5 million in fraudulent proceeds.
In addition to health care fraud, the couple evaded taxes on their illegal earnings.
Officials confirmed that their actions caused more than $4.2 million in losses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The Tans failed to report substantial income derived from the fraud and filed false tax returns over several years.
Dr. Tan pleaded guilty in November 2025 to:
Health care fraud
Tax evasion
Failure to file tax returns
The federal court sentenced her to:
6.5 years in prison
3 years of supervised release
Significant financial penalties (as per sentencing guidelines)
Her husband also pleaded guilty earlier for his role in managing the clinic and facilitating the fraud.
Investigators revealed that the clinic’s operations were central to the scheme.
Dr. Tan prescribed and administered injectable medications but misrepresented the type, dosage, and necessity of treatments to insurers.
Meanwhile, Daniel Tan handled administrative and financial operations, helping execute and conceal the fraudulent billing practices.
Dr. Claribel Tan and Daniel Tan establish a rheumatology clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, treating patients with chronic autoimmune conditions.
The couple initiates a health care fraud scheme. They underdose patients, use expired and free sample drugs, and bill insurers for full, high-cost treatments.
They continue fraudulent practices for 15 years. They bill for 4,829 drug units while purchasing only 369, generating over $12.5 million. Patients receive misrepresented and unsafe treatments.
They file false tax returns, underreport income, and inflate business expenses to conceal illicit earnings.
The couple stops filing tax returns entirely, causing over $4.2 million in losses to the IRS.
Authorities raid the clinic and seize expired drugs, free samples marked “not for sale,” and improperly stored medical supplies.
The case was investigated by multiple federal agencies, highlighting the seriousness of health care fraud in the U.S. system.
Officials emphasized that such schemes not only defraud government programs and insurers but also undermine patient trust and safety.
Reference:
U.S. Department of Justice. “Anchorage Doctor Sentenced to Prison in Multi-Million-Dollar Health Care, Tax Fraud Schemes.” Last modified March 2026.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/pr/anchorage-doctor-sentenced-prison-multi-million-dollar-health-care-tax-fraud-schemes
