Texas Hospital Ex-CEO Pleads Guilty In Fraud Scheme

The former CEO of a Texas community hospital has pleaded guilty to defrauding three health insurers in a pass-through billing scheme involving laboratory services, the Department of Justice said.According to his plea papers, Palo Pinto General Hospital ex-CEO Harris Brooks and his co-conspirators, used the Mineral Wells, Texas hospital’s in-network contracts with BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, CIGNA Texas, and United Healthcare to swindle the payers out of more than $9 million.Using PPGH’s national provider identification number, Brooks and his co-conspirators submitted claims to the insurance companies for allergy and genetic testing purportedly performed at PPGH.