UPDATE: New York City Doctor Convicted of Medicaid, Medicare Fraud Scheme

A New York City Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor arrested in June 2018 following an OMIG-assisted investigation for fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid for surgical procedures not performed was convicted on July 8 in federal court.

Harold Bendelstein, 71, of Queens, N.Y. was convicted following a trial of one count of health care fraud and one count of making a false claim for fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid approximately $585,000 between January 2014 and February 2018 for hundreds of incision procedures of the external ear that were never actually performed. According to court documents and as presented at trial, Bendelstein was the highest biller for this procedure in New York State.

Bendelstein is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. 

Read more about this conviction and OMIG’s assistance.

New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General

Our mission is to enhance the integrity of the New York State Medicaid program by preventing and detecting fraudulent, abusive, and wasteful practices within the Medicaid program and recovering improperly expended Medicaid funds while promoting high-quality patient care.

Contact us: OMIG, 800 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204. Phone: (518) 473-3782; Fax: (518) 474-6773; Fraud Hotline: 1-(877) 87-FRAUD/1-(877) 873-7283

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