Press Release  Optometrist Charged with Fraudulently Billing MassHealth for Care Never Provided to Nursing Home Residents

BOSTON — A Carlisle optometrist has been indicted for falsely billing MassHealth during the COVID-19 pandemic for services that were not provided to nursing home residents, including patients who were deceased, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Dr. Frederick J. Wagner, Jr., age 74, of Carlisle, was indicted Thursday, Jan. 20 by a Statewide Grand Jury on one count each of Medicaid False Claims, Larceny Over $1,200, and Obstruction of a Criminal Investigation. He will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.

Dr. Wagner is accused of billing MassHealth for services allegedly provided to nursing home residents during time periods in 2020 when nursing homes were maintaining strict records of all persons who entered their facilities due to COVID-19 protocols, but where they did not have records of Dr. Wagner being present at their facilities. Specifically, the AG’s Office alleges that, between mid-March 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020, Dr. Wagner fraudulently billed MassHealth for over $35,000 of services that were never provided.

In two separate instances, the AG’s office also alleges that Dr. Wagner billed for providing services to MassHealth members after those members had already died. In response to a grand jury subpoena, Dr. Wagner provided hundreds of false patient records in an apparent effort to support previously submitted billing, including false records of an eye examination for a MassHealth member who had died before the date of the purported exam.

These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Philip M. Schreiber and Senior Health Care Fraud Investigator Aleksandra Andriyevskaya of the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division, with substantial assistance from MassHealth.

The Medicaid Fraud Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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