Doctor in Dublin latest charged for insurance fraud

A Blacklick man who practiced medicine in Dublin has been charged in federal court with prescribing medications that weren’t necessary.

Dr. Bernard Oppong, 60, was charged in United States District Court with seven counts related to insurance fraud.

Oppong had worked as a doctor in the Health and Wellness Medical Center on Perimeter Drive in Dublin, which was affiliated with a pharmacy of the same name. The owners of both facilities, Darrell Bryant and Gifty Kusi, were charged in federal court in 2017.

According to court records, between January 2013 and April 2017, Oppong billed insurance companies for compound creams that were never provided or were not necessary. Oppong also billed for counseling sessions that were never provided and incorrectly billed group counseling sessions as individual sessions to get more money.

Part of the conspiracy involved Oppong and the pharmacy targeting patients with a certain insurance, sending them what was described as free samples of the compound cream, according to court records. More cream was then mailed to the patients, even those who had asked for the mail to stop. All of this was then billed to the insurance company.

Court records also show Oppong is accused of prescribing Suboxone, a medication used to treat opiate addiction, without seeing patients or providing counseling services.

Court records show Oppong had pre-signed prescriptions and left them at the center for distribution.

At the clinic, Oppong treated patients with insurance differently than those without. Patients with insurance were seen three times a week and had to stay for one hour of counseling. Patients without insurance were seen one to two times a month, paid $300 and only had to attend 15 to 30 minutes of counseling, according to court records.

Bryant and Kusi are set to stand trial in December in United States District Court for their roles in the scheme.

A fourth person, Jornel Rivera, who worked as the center’s medical director, pleaded guilty in May 2018 and is awaiting sentencing.

Oppong appeared in court Friday and entered not guilty pleas to the seven charges against him.