Daphne Jenkins, 64, is a nurse practitioner based in Virginia, United States. Between December 2018 and April 2020, she worked with a telemedicine company to sign orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME).
Signed by Jenkins, the orders were pre-populated based on telemarketing calls made to Medicare beneficiaries. She never had any contact with the beneficiaries herself and had no medical relationship with them.
After Jenkins signed the orders without even reading them, they were sold by the telemarketing company to DME suppliers and laboratories, which then submitted claims to Medicare. Based on false documentation and tainted by kickbacks, the health insurance program received more than $7.8 million in claims for DME that was medically unnecessary as a result of the nurse practitioner’s participation in this conspiracy.
On October 6, 2023, Jenkins was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The charge provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
On November 27, 2023, Jenkins appeared in federal court before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
On April 10, 2024, Jenkins will be sentenced. Prosecuting the case are Lauren Graber, Howard Locker, Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross.
CONAN Daily 