Alfredo Barcelo Rodriguez

On May 3, 2013, brothers Dixan Esteban Barcelo-Castro and Alfredo Barcelo-Rodriguez were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud. Investigators believe that the brothers, along with their co-conspirators, received more than $2.5 million from Medicare for medical procedures and services that were either not performed or were not reimbursable under Medicare rules.

Barcelo-Castro operated and controlled four purported health care clinics in Tampa, Florida: Palmetto General health care Inc. (Palmetto), United health care Center Inc., New Imaging Center Inc., and Lord Physical Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (Lord Physical). Barcelo-Rodriguez participated in the establishment and operation of these clinics and was listed as the President of Palmetto and Lord Physical.

According to the indictment, all four clinics allegedly billed Medicare Part C Health Maintenance Organizations for endovenous ablation therapy that was never performed or not medically necessary. This therapy is a minor surgical procedure used to treat problems with blood circulation, such as in the main veins in the legs. It offers a relatively high rate of Medicare reimbursement. However, Medicare only covers this procedure when it is medically necessary, not for purely cosmetic procedures, such as the treatment of non-symptomatic varicose or spider veins.

All four clinics supposedly operated at the same address, and at the same time billed Medicare for the same procedures for the same patients. Barcelo-Castro, Barcelo Rodriguez, and their co-conspirators allegedly recruited and enrolled Medicare beneficiaries to visit the clinics, and in some cases, submit to minor cosmetic procedures that were not reimbursable by Medicare. The defendants then fraudulently billed Medicare $4,872,239 and used the reimbursed funds for their personal gain.

Authorities believe that Barcelo-Castro and Barcelo-Rodriguez fled the United States after a warrant was issued for their arrest.