Telemedicine Scamster Sentenced to 20 Years for $46M Medicare Fraud
Telemedicine fraudster Christopher Harwood sentenced to 20 years for stealing $46 million from Medicare.
2 min read
Christopher Harwood, the owner of TelevisitMD, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a $46.2 million Medicare fraud scheme. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Harwood pressured Medicare patients into accepting unnecessary genetic tests and orthotic braces, then paid off doctors to approve the orders, bypassing Medicare’s rules.
Harwood then sold the signed orders to durable medical equipment (DME) companies and marketers, while also owning several DME supply companies that billed Medicare for unnecessary braces. In total, Medicare paid $17.9 million based on these fraudulent claims, with Harwood personally profiting over $10.4 million.
Harwood pleaded guilty in March 2026 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay $17,942,402 in restitution to Medicare and $10,431,463 in forfeiture. The DOJ noted that Harwood’s elaborate conspiracy spanned over six years, and the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program has charged over 6,200 defendants since 2007, collectively billing federal healthcare programs and private insurers more than $45 billion.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli discussed federal agents arresting LA medical fraudsters accused of stealing $2 billion by billing Medicare for unneeded surgeries and phony hospice care. https://t.co/07e7svJzzS https://t.co/aMjmwuqcpf
Experts argue that the growing scale of medical fraud highlights a systemic issue in the U.S. healthcare system, with politicians increasingly prioritizing spending over addressing fraud. The national debt has surpassed $40.4 trillion, and the medical industry is facing scrutiny for prioritizing profit over patient care.
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Source: PJ Media
