KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Kansas, doctor on Friday admitted to accepting over $670,000 in kickbacks to order medically unnecessary health care for thousands of patients.
Dr. Scott Taggart Roethle, 47, of Leawood, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of health care fraud.
Roethle admitted that during a three-year period from 2017 until 2020, he conspired with health care companies to order medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, pain creams and genetic tests for patients in exchange for thousands of dollars in kickbacks.
Roethle contracted with multiple health care companies as a telemedicine doctor, authorities said.
He would order health care services for patients by using electronic portals to review their information and documents without evaluating them or their medical needs.
Roethle did not have a prior doctor-patient relationship with the patients and admitted to not providing any follow-up care after ordering the health care services.
Authorities said patients often complained to Roethle that they did not want or need the items he had ordered.
Roethle was typically paid about $30 for each of his fraudulent orders, according to authorities.
Roethle admitted to receiving payments of $674,000 from five companies and also confessed that Medicare paid out at least $1.5 million while relying on his fraudulent orders.
At the time of Roethle’s sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will argue that the total loss due to the health care fraud is between $7 million and $9.5 million.
Roethle, who worked primarily as an anesthesiologist, was licensed to practice medicine in 22 states while committing his crimes.
Roethle's trial was scheduled to begin Monday. His sentencing is set for July 17.
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