Medicare fraud trial of Thomson medical equipment company owner set for next week

Nov. 30--The health care fraud trial for an owner of a Thomson medical equipment supply company is set to begin next week in U.S. District Court.

Detra Wiley Pate has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, 36 counts of health care fraud, and eight counts of aggravated identity fraud. Prosecutors dropped nine counts of money laundering.

Jury selection is set to begin next Thursday for Pate, who is the chief operating officer of Southern Respiratory. On Thursday, the attorneys met with U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall to go over final details for the trial. Attorneys say the trial could take five days. Hall said the court will not be in session on Saturday.

Pate's company has been a registered Medicare provider since 2011. According to the indictment, she is accused of submitting thousands of fraudulent claims for Medicare payments between January 2014 and Jan. 26, 2017. Medicare is a federally funded health insurance program available for those 65 years or older and certain disabled people.

According to the indictment, Pate is accused of submitting claims for equipment that was not ordered by a physician nor medically necessary. Several counts allege Pate submitted claims for extra heavy-duty wheelchairs and accessories while patients were given less expensive, standard wheelchairs. In other counts of the indictment, Pate is accused of submitting claims for respiratory devices that were never ordered by a physician nor received by a patient.

Pate was indicted on March. She has remained free on a $75,000 bond.

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