Impersonating Patients Catches Up With $600 Million Scammer

A New York man who operated a medical billing company was convicted of defrauding health insurance companies and businesses of more than $600 million by inflating bills for hospital procedures, according to federal prosecutors.

Mathew James, 54, was accused of directing his doctor clients to schedule elective surgeries through emergency rooms so that insurers would reimburse at higher rates, the US Justice Department said in a statement Wednesday.

“When insurance companies denied the inflated claims, James impersonated patients to demand that the insurance companies pay the outstanding balances of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars,” prosecutors said.

James, who ...