OIG-supported investigation leads to 70-month prison sentence, $1.3 million in restitution for California chiropractor who defrauded health insurers

For Immediate Release

April 26, 2022

SANTA ANA, California – A former California chiropractor was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison Thursday for bilking health insurers by submitting $2.2 million in fraudulent billings for services that were never provided, medical diagnoses never given, office visits that never occurred, and medical devices that were falsely prescribed.

Susan H. Poon, 57, of Dana Point, was found guilty in June 2021 of five counts of health care fraud, three counts of making false statements relating to health care matters, and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to her prison sentence, Poon was also ordered to pay $1,379,622 in restitution to her victims.

During her scheme, Poon submitted false reimbursement claims to Amtrak’s health care plan and plans from other health insurance companies for services that were never performed. Claims included fraudulent prescriptions for individuals she never met, including spouses and children of individuals insured by the health care plans Poon targeted. Poon unlawfully took and used the dependent’s personal identifying information in her reimbursement request and prescriptions.

Over the course of the scheme, Amtrak’s health care plan was billed $17,310 and paid $7,145.

In addition to Amtrak OIG, the case was investigated by the California Department of Insurance; U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration; U.S. Department of Labor OIG; the FBI; and the Office of Personnel Management OIG.

More information is available in the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California: https://direc.to/hH48.

Reports of fraud, waste, or abuse; criminal or unethical acts by an Amtrak employee, contractor or vendor; or mismanagement in Amtrak programs or operations can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Amtrak OIG Hotline at 1-800-468-5469 or online at https://direc.to/hPAu.

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