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Former Atmore Dentist’s Employee Admits To Bilking Thousands From Insurance Companies
September 22, 2009
The former office manager for an Atmore dentist has pleaded guilty to defrauding tens of thousands of dollars from insurance companies.
Toni McMurphy, 54, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and mail fraud in federal court. In her plea agreement, McMurphy admitted that while working for Buckley and Buckley Family Dentistry between January 1, 2006, and November, 2008, she bilked about $45,000 from insurance companies by filing false claims for services never performed or by upgrading lower cost procedures to higher cost procedures.
“The insurance carriers would then send reimbursement checks to Buckley Family Dentistry to pay for the fraudulent claims,” McMurphy’s stated in her plea agreement. “I would then misapply said fraudulent proceeds, thereby allowing me to apply proceeds to different patients and to withdraw cash from Buckley Family Dentistry.”
The mail fraud charge stemmed from an incident in June, 2008, when McMurphy admitted that she filed a false claim with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama asking for reimbursement on behalf of a patient claiming that the dentist had extracted two of her teeth. Blue Cross and Blue Shield then mailed a payment for the services never performed to an Atmore post office box.
U.S. District Judge Kristi Dubose scheduled McMurphy to be sentenced in federal court on December 18. She could face up to 20 years in prison, three years probation and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. However, the plea agreement states that federal prosecutors will seek a minimum allowable sentence of probation. She could also be ordered by the court to make restitution in the case.
Comments
15 Responses to “Former Atmore Dentist’s Employee Admits To Bilking Thousands From Insurance Companies”
I know everybody has opinions about this situation. But PLEASE, proof read your comments, before hitting the submit comment. You wouldn’t want to sound IGNORANT! Remember, when you point one finger at someone, there’s ALWAYS three pointing back at you…think about it!!!!!!
Just goes to show that good people from good families make stupid decisions. Wake up and think before you do something wrong! Things like this affect many innocents, including family.
This is the kind of stuff that that needs to be cleaned up before any health care reform is passed. It would nearly impossible to do so. Just think of the billions and billions in fraud and waste in Medicare!
things like this is what causes our insurance rates to go sky high…it’s a shame people do stuff like this
Left it out. In my Merriam-Webster Dictonary there are 17 words. If you removed them you would see the word police comes before politicians, which the police should be on top of things, especially politcians. Look at that chump that got away with messing with the 12 year old. POLITCIANS/JUDGES …………SAME THING
I’m glad some of us have last names that gives input in this ne.com
Mickey Powell
What are the 17 words that seperate POLITICIANS AND POLICE, Mickey Powell?
I’ve seen it before. The separation of clerks and professionals is just too great. A good professional should learn to type, use a computer, handle the books and all that stuff and THEN study their doctoring skills (or vice versa). The same with district attorneys (It happened in Brewton) and even blue collar operations. At the very least it is important to review the procedures of your office personnel carefully at least every three months.
Agree w/ Mr. Green, I’m not blaming the victim at all —I was just trying to put out a friendly reminder to everyone about our responsibility as patients and providers for future health care visits – because we do pay the insurance companies. All of us can become victims and it’s not a pleasant thing to have to go through. And yes unfortunately due to sin of others – employers have to have a ‘watchful eye.
REGARDING:
“he (dental owner) should have been watching his records, like 2 people to handle different areas of the financial end.. When you own a small business, you have to watch everything.”
Blame the victim.
Yes, the dentist should have checked but we need to be able to trust our employees some of the time and not check every transaction. Otherwise, we can just do all the work ourselves..
“don’t help a good boy go bad, don’t leave your keys in your ignition” Remember those? If the only thing keeping someone from stealing your car is lack of keys, he isn’t a good boy.
It seems this lady wasn’t a good girl. If there were some easy way to tell, lots of people would never get a job in the first place.
Just think if our present health care crisis turned out to be her fault.
Unfortunate for these patients and the dentist, however, he (dental owner) should have been watching his records, like 2 people to handle different areas of the financial end.. When you own a small business, you have to watch everything.
When claims are paid from the insurance company, normally the patient or member receives a copy of the explanation of benefits. Always, always look at this information sent to you. With identity theft just lurking around the corner, crooks are just waiting for their chance to get your personal information as well.
Most dental policies have a maximum benefit per year, so patients were possibly losing benefits because of this. Is someone investigating as to whether individual patients of Dr. Buckley might be due money from benefits that were no longer available because of this fraud?
Thank you for taking the time to report news in the area. The other Websites don’t have up-to-date information.
GOD has forgiven her if she has asked for it. And GOD’s forgiveness is the most important thing. But, everyone should agree that next must come punishment.
She was woman enough to admit that she did something wrong and I have respect for that however she must now take her medicine and sit in prison for a while.
thanks once again for great news from atmore .nothing on any web pages about any crime in atmore. keep up the good work very interesting to read.
concerned person.
It never ends, we’ll always have a crook. I don’t have a clue why this happend. It will cost….US!! Everybodys got to be some where.
I met a lady a few years back that later was convicted (more/less) trying to get her son in a county/state/federal funded drug rehab. She had exausted he future retirement and her savings trying to help her flesh and blood. Would we have not? Most will go to federal agencies first and will most likely get help. It cost….US. When the funds run out it’s on the patient. Then if this doesn’t work, it’s jail time. It’s….cost us.
Our mostly brain dead politicians have never heard of garnishment. if you want to be a crook then you can pay us back every penny you took from us. If you fail to pay It cost….US!!.
There are 17 words that separate POLITICIANS AND POLICE.
Mickey Powell