Former Niskayuna surgeon gets prison, must pay $350K in multi-million-dollar health ins. fraud case, IG says [The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, N.Y.]

Mar. 20—Article Audio:

SCHENECTADY — A former Niskayuna surgeon was sentenced Friday to up to six years in prison and $350,000 in restitution in a multi-million-dollar health insurance fraud case, the state Inspector General's Office said Monday.

Steven A. St. Lucia engineered the scheme against a New York State employee health insurance plan related to Schenectady-based Union Foot Solutions, a medical supply company, officials said.

He earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree health care fraud and third-degree criminal tax fraud, felonies, officials said.

He was then sentenced in Schenectady County Court Friday to two years in state prison and ordered to pay more than $311,000 in restitution to the state for health care fraud and just over $39,000 for tax fraud. He also forfeited $123,000 and a vehicle purchased with proceeds from his crimes, officials said.

St. Lucia previously agreed to pay $42,000 to resolve federal allegations over false claims to Medicare, officials said last week.

St. Lucia founded Union Foot Solutions in 2009 while concealing that he had lost his medical license nine years earlier and was barred from participating in federal health care programs, officials said.

His misrepresentations allowed him to target state employees and submit fraudulent claims to the Empire Plan for medical supplies and also conceal his involvement in treating Medicare beneficiaries, officials said.

He also falsified prescriptions while billing for items under another practitioner's name, officials said.

"New Yorkers deserve to be treated by reputable and licensed medical professionals," New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang said in a statement. "They are entitled to feel secure that their medical safety net will be there for them when they need it. The outcome of this case and sizable restitution shows that we stand guard over the integrity of these crucial programs."

The Schenectady County District Attorney's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office, the New York State Police and United Healthcare cooperated on the investigation, the Inspector General's office said.

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