An Orange County doctor has been charged with defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Covid-19 Uninsured Program for over a quarter-billion dollars. Dr. Anthony Hao Dinh, accused of submitting fraudulent claims, received nearly $150 million in payments according to the U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California.
The indictment, unveiled today, has two other defendants facing similar charges alongside Dr. Dinh.
With the public disclosure of this case, questions arise not only about the integrity of individuals capitalizing on a health crisis but also about the larger systemic issues that have allowed such instances of fraud. Furthermore, there are concerns regarding the potential missteps in the administration of national relief programs that need to be addressed.
Based on the indictment, it can be inferred that Dr. Dinh allegedly made fraudulent claims to HRSA for insured patients' treatment, services that were never rendered, and services that were not medically necessary. The fraudulent claims spanned from July 2020 to March 2021, with the doctor's practices receiving an estimated $150 million.
The HRSA Covid-19 Uninsured Program, designed to prevent the further spread of the pandemic by providing access to uninsured patients for testing and treatment, has a noble intent. The program aims to support health care providers fighting Covid-19 by reimbursing them for services provided to uninsured individuals. However, cases like Dr. Dinh's reveal that such well-intentioned programs are not immune to exploitation.
Among the numerous charges, the indictment also alleges that Dinh submitted, or caused to be submitted, approximately 65 fraudulent loan applications that sought nearly $8 million from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The two programs disbursed around $2.8 million in funds.
As prosecuting attorney Roger A. Hsieh notes in his official statement, if convicted, Dr. Dinh would potentially face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and three of the money laundering charges. Further consequences include up to 10 years for two of the money laundering charges and up to 20 years for the obstruction of justice charge.
