St. Louis, MO - Dr. Brij R. Vaid, 56, and Donna A. Waldo, 57, both of St. Louis County, Missouri, were charged by Indictment with conspiracy to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid regarding “face to face" office visits submitted under Dr. Vaid’s personal billing number while he was actually out of town. Dr. Vaid was also charged with six counts of making and presenting false claims to the United States.
According to the Indictment, Dr. Vaid often prescribed powerful opiate and opioid pain relief drugs to his patients, including Opana, Hydrocodone, and Oxycontin. Dr. Vaid also employed physician assistants in his medical office, but these physician assistants could not prescribe these opiate and opioid pain relief drugs to patients. Dr. Vaid traveled frequently during the timeframes discussed in the Indictment. When Dr. Vaid left town, his physician assistants handed out prescriptions for these controlled substance pain relief drugs that Dr. Vaid had “pre-signed" before leaving town without first examining the patients. Dr. Vaid then presented claims for payment to Medicaid and Medicare in which he represented that he was the person providing the “face to face" office visits with the patients that occurred while he was actually out of town.
The conspiracy charge and the charge of making and presenting false claims to the United States both carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by the Offices of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
