A Florida heart doctor faces federal charges for an $89 million healthcare fraud scheme that allegedly put college athletes' lives at risk by billing insurers for medically unnecessary cardiovascular tests and rubber-stamping results without proper review—a case that underscores how vulnerable patients can become victims when profit motives override medical care.
The Justice Department announced criminal charges Tuesday against 455 people as part of a two-week healthcare fraud crackdown that officials say involved more than $6.5 billion in false claims submitted to insurers. Among those charged is Jason Finkelstein, 53, a Texas-based heart doctor accused of preying on the fears of young athletes concerned about sudden cardiac arrest on playing fields or courts.
A Deadly Scheme
According to prosecutors, the alleged fraud ran between 2019 and the end of last year and involved Finkelstein and a pair of unidentified co-conspirators at a Florida-based cardiovascular testing and treatment practice where he served as medical director. Athletes with no preexisting conditions who were concerned about being cleared to compete were administered tests they did not need, the indictment says.
In one tragic instance in 2024, Finkelstein signed off on approximately 63 test result images of one patient just 11 seconds after accessing them, according to the indictment. The test results actually revealed a significantly enlarged heart and the teenage patient later died on the basketball court, officials said.
"There is no way they could miss that, except they didn't care," said Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon by training and head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "This is not a diagnostic company. It's a predatory scheme dressed up in medical clothing and we're going to treat it as such."
How the Fraud Worked
The scheme had multiple components, with Finkelstein and his company using what the indictment says were deceptive marketing tactics to encourage and offer free heart screens for students who did not need them and then certifying the results as normal without any review. Finkelstein's co-conspirators blasted out emails to athletic trainers at colleges and universities stating that the tests being offered could identify any life-threatening condition that could prevent the students from playing, and also offered kickbacks and other inducements to school officials to refer potential patients for testing, according to the indictment.
Insurance companies do not cover blanket cardiovascular testing but instead require a prior finding of a medical necessity. To avert that roadblock, prosecutors say, Finkelstein submitted to insurers phony diagnoses of conditions, such as elevated blood pressure and hypertension, that the athletes did not actually have.
His company relied on sonographers who lacked the requisite credentials to travel to college campuses to perform the tests, and because Finkelstein was licensed in the 48 contiguous states, he and his company were able to submit claims for patients across the country, the indictment says. The indictment quotes Finkelstein as telling an unnamed co-conspirator with whom he worked that "(t)hese kids could be high risk ...(o)ne of them drops dead on a field, they're coming after both of us."
A lawyer for Finkelstein, who pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in Florida on Monday, did not return messages seeking comment.
Broader Crackdown on Patient Exploitation
The department says Finkelstein's case, with allegations not only of unrendered services but also poor medical performance that put patients at risk, represents the type of sophisticated scheme prosecutors are striving to disrupt. Among others charged in the crackdown are a nurse practitioner accused in Texas of billing Medicare for medically unnecessary wound-care procedures and using the proceeds for fancy jewelry and luxury cars; a mental health company owner who prosecutors say targeted the homeless by billing for crisis stabilization services they did not receive; and a hospice owner alleged to have paid kickbacks to a funeral home employee for information about deceased Medicare beneficiaries.
"Today's cases allege more than the theft of taxpayer dollars. Many allege the theft of human dignity," said Colin McDonald, a new assistant attorney general appointed to help oversee healthcare fraud prosecutions, at a news conference announcing this year's crackdown, which covers cases charged or unsealed since June 8. "Our sick, needy and elderly placing their faith in the gift of medicine were neglected, ignored and used for personal profit."
Healthcare fraud has been a long-running Justice Department priority and news conferences announcing roundups and crackdowns have been common occurrences across the years. The Trump administration has made a point of emphasizing enforcement over the last year, including through McDonald's appointment at a Justice Department that operates multiple specialized task forces.
Why This Matters:
These cases reveal how inadequate oversight and enforcement in healthcare can turn vulnerable patients—from young athletes seeking medical clearance to homeless individuals and the elderly—into profit centers for unscrupulous providers. The alleged death of a teenage athlete whose enlarged heart went undetected because a doctor spent only 11 seconds reviewing test results illustrates the human cost when medical professionals prioritize billing over patient safety. The $6.5 billion in false claims announced in this crackdown represents not just stolen taxpayer dollars from Medicare and other insurers, but a systemic failure to protect patients who trust medical professionals with their lives. Stronger regulatory safeguards, more robust credentialing requirements, and enhanced oversight of billing practices are essential to prevent schemes that exploit both patients' health concerns and public insurance programs designed to ensure access to necessary care.