Man Pleads Guilty In $6 Million Medicare Scheme: How To Spot And Avoid These Scams

Key TakeawaysA Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to laundering money from a $6 million Medicare billing schemeThe company billed Medicare for knee and back braces that patients never ordered and doctors never prescribedPeople can catch fraud early by checking Medicare statements and reporting supplies they didn’t order.THURSDAY, Oct. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A Massachusetts man has admitted to helping launder money from a scheme that billed Medicare more than $6 million for knee and back braces patients didn’t need or ask for.Leo Anzivino Jr., 35, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, to one count of money laundering conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire announced.He faces up to 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced Jan. 21, 2027.Prosecutors said Anzivino agreed to act as the “straw” owner of Advanced Medical Supply Corp. in Rochester, New Hampshire. That means his name was on the paperwork, but other people actually owned and ran the business.The company then billed Medicare for medical equipment that doctors never ordered. It backed up those claims with fake doctors’ orders, prosecutors said.Medicare paid more than $3 million on the false claims.Some people who got the unwanted braces mailed them back with notes. One called the shipment “some type of Medicare scam.” Another wrote that neither the patient nor their doctor had approved it.Anzivino also lied on bank paperwork to hide who really owned the company, according to court documents. After learning Medicare planned to cut off the company’s ability to bill, he still wired out nearly $1.5 million in three transactions over five weeks.Medicare fraud costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Unneeded braces are one of the red flags the agency tells people to watch for.How To Protect Yourself CMS advises people not to accept medical supplies they weren’t expecting, that their doctor didn’t prescribe or that come from a stranger. Medicare also never sends salespeople door to door.People should also be wary of anyone who says equipment is free and only needs a Medicare number or who claims to know a way to get Medicare to pay for something, the agency says.Checking health plan statements can help catch fraud early. People with Original Medicare can review their Medicare Summary Notice, the statement showing what was billed and what Medicare paid. They can also log in to their account at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Those with a Medicare Advantage plan should review the statements their plan sends.CMS also urges people to guard their Medicare number like a credit card number and share it only with their doctor or other trusted providers.Anyone who suspects fraud can call 1-800-MEDICARE or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General’s hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or file a complaint online at tips.oig.hhs.gov.More informationVisit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for more information about spotting and reporting Medicare fraud.SOURCES: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Hampshire, Oct. 13, 2026; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, February 2025.What This Means For YouIf medical supplies you didn’t order show up at your door, don’t just set them aside. Check your Medicare statements for the charge and report it to 1-800-MEDICARE..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Man Pleads Guilty In $6 Million Medicare Scheme: How To Spot And Avoid These Scams

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