Indian-Origin Lab Owner Khadeer Khan Mohammed Wanted in US Over Alleged $93 Million Medicare Fraud

According to The Department of Health and Human Services, Mohammed used his laboratory, American Premier, to submit medical claims for laboratory genetic tests ineligible for reimbursement.

The Department of Health claims that Mohammed owned American Premier Labs LLC in Richardson, Texas, from August 2023 to October 2024, in the Northern District of Texas and elsewhere.

Over the course of the conspiracy, the accused submitted approximately USD 93 million in alleged fraudulent Medicare claims via American Premier, resulting in payments of at least USD 65 million.

The Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services said that, in 2023, Medicare paid approximately USD 13 million against suspected fraudulent claims over a 10-day period alone.

HHS-OIG suspects that claims were submitted for genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries whose doctors had no treatment relationship with them. The physicians allegedly did not prescribe these tests and the results were not used in treating the beneficiaries. In fact, physicians' personal identifying information was used without their knowledge or consent. It appears as if the doctors' identities were used to make the laboratory claims appear medically authorised.

US authorities have now listed Mohammed as a fugitive and said they believe he may be in Hyderabad, India. 

Since Mohammed is outside the immediate jurisdiction of Texas Courts, the officials have also set up a public hotline for any leads on his whereabouts. Anyone with information about him  has been asked to contact the HHS-OIG fugitive hotline at 888-476-4453 or submit a fugitive sighting report.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and the FBI are investigating a criminal case against him. They have reportedly already seized nearly $6 million from bank accounts allegedly controlled by Mohammed.

Additionally, the allegations against Mohammed have not been proven in court. The US authorities have reminded the public that defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

(Rh/MF/MSM)