DME Companies Owner Sentenced

Andrew Chmiel was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in a nearly $100 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) orders. He also must pay almost $99 million in restitution. His DME companies entered into agreements with an offshore call center to purchase completed doctors’ orders so the DME companies could bill Medicare. The scheme included screening beneficiaries who called a 1-800 number from television and internet advertisements for eligibility, convincing them that they needed braces, and oftentimes upselling them on other braces. Read a story from The Post and Courier  and a Department of Justice press release.

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