Doc Faces Charges for Alleged Fraud Hire
New York State Insurance Fund Chief Deputy Executive Director Francine James announced the arrest of a Monroe County doctor on insurance fraud charges for allegedly hiring one of his patients while treating the patient for a workers’ compensation disability.
Dr. Vu Q. Tran, 51, of Rochester, NY, faces charges of insurance fraud, fraudulent insurance practices following his arrest by State Police in Rochester on December 19, 2009.
Investigators from the New York State Insurance Fund Division of Confidential Investigations and the New York State Insurance Department Frauds Bureau conducted a joint investigation that found Dr. Tran allegedly hired patient Lisa Young as a Licensed Professional Nurse while she received workers’ compensation benefits from NYSIF.
“This investigation would seem to dispel the stereotypical profile of the kinds of people involved in workers’ compensation fraud,” NYSIF Chief Deputy Director Francine James said. “Clearly, we know there are people from all walks of life who commit these types of crimes. This just reinforces NYSIF’s resolve to attack workers’ compensation fraud on all levels, and the urgency of our message for the public to help NYSIF in this fight.”
Authorities said Ms. Young, who worked for the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Finger Lakes Services Office, sought treatment from Dr. Tran for an injury connected to her employment for OMRDD.
Dr. Tran returned reports to NYSIF indicating that Ms. Young was temporarily totally disabled as a result of the injury. At the same time and during a period when she collected workers’ compensation benefits from NYSIF, however, Dr. Tran allegedly employed Ms. Young as a LPN in his office, investigators said.
Authorities arrested Ms. Young, 39, of Monroe County, on November 4, 2009, charging her with insurance fraud, and fraudulent practices in violation of the Workers’ Compensation Law.
Source: NYSIF