A Toronto Doctor has been accused of billing the Ontario Health Insurance Plan for over 2700 false medical claims since the mid-1990s. This included billings for family members whom she had never actually treated.

According to the Toronto Star “the Ontario Provincial Police anti-rackets and health fraud unit charged the physician on March 12, 2004, after investigating a complaint from the health ministry.”

The physician’s counsel blamed a mental disorder for the accused’s false belief that she had actually performed all the treatments billed to OHIP. A litany of expert witnesses corroborated the defence’s explanation, and one stated that the  doctor suffers from “a mood disorder veering from depression to mania.”

The total cost to OHIP is said to be $65,000. A decision is pending in this case.

Source: Toronto Star February 20, 2009

On December 9, 2008, we posted a blog item that Dr. Malcolm Brigden recently settled allegations of fraudulently overcharging US Medicare-Medicaid and that Dr. Brigden is forbidden to bill Medicare for his services ever again.

The posting was inaccurate and the CHCAA apologizes unreservedly to Dr. Brigden for publishing untrue information about him.

There were never any allegations of fraud nor were there any charges against Dr. Brigden by US prosecutors. There was a billing dispute regarding potentially improper hospital coding, which was resolved by a negotiated settlement with the Department of Health and Social Services. Moreover, Brigden was a fully salaried individual for his entire tenure of practice in the United States. Dr. Brigden was not forbidden to bill Medicare for his services. Rather, Dr. Brigden voluntarily elected to refrain from participation because he returned to Canada and did not intend to practice medicine in the United States.

CHCAA regrets any inconvenience or embarrassment to Dr. Brigden by this posting, which was incorrect.

(This post amended Feb 11, 2009; It was originally published on Dec 24, 2008)