Alabama lawmaker indicted, charged with paying kickbacks

U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin Sr. said in a news release that Henry paid kickbacks to a Montgomery physician’s office that referred patients to Henry’s company for chronic care management. Prosecutors say the doctor’s office would then share Medicare reimbursements for those patients’ care with Henry’s company.

Henry pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing Thursday. He said on his Facebook page: “Today began my fight with the Federal Government for my freedom.”

Henry’s attorney, Max Pulliam, told The Associated Press that Henry’s company provided legitimate services that improved patients’ health “and he actually saved the taxpayers money.”

“Ed Henry is guilty of no crimes,” Pulliam said. He added: “He has paid no kickbacks to any person.”

The indictment says the kickback scheme was part of an agreement Henry entered into in 2016 with Dr. Gilberto Sanchez, who has pleaded guilty to drug distribution, health care fraud, and money laundering charges.

Prosecutors said the kickbacks included direct payments to a member of the doctor’s staff, free chronic care management services, free medical billing services and other free clinical services.

Henry is also accused of assisting Sanchez in paying kickbacks to patients who enrolled in the chronic care management program. Prosecutors say Sanchez paid the kickbacks by systematically waiving copays that Medicare required the doctor to collect.

Henry denied any wrongdoing. He said in his Facebook post: “My goal was to help patients, and I did.”

The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Alabama lawmaker indicted, charged with paying kickbacks

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