Podiatrist Charged in $4 Million Alleged Foot Bath Scheme

Nathan Lucas, a podiatrist from Memphis, Tennessee, has his feet in hot water after five charges of health care fraud were brought against him last month. A federal indictment claims that Lucas, who runs a podiatry clinic and several pharmacies, prescribed a mix of medications to patients that were medically unnecessary to patients based on their reimbursement pricing. Lucas allegedly recommended diluting these medications in water for foot baths, which were often not water soluble or would reduce their potency, therefore requiring more frequent refills that he could then bill back to Medicare.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, “Lucas wrote a prescription to a patient for 1,080 capsules of vancomycin, 7,650 grams of econazole cream, and 180 grams of lidocaine, all to be dissolved in a foot bath, and caused Medicare to reimburse his pharmacy over $18,000 for dispensing these drugs.”

Over the course of three years, prosecutors claim that the health care fraud scheme totaled over $4 million dollars in claims to Medicare and TennCare. If found guilty for all five charges of health care fraud, Lucas could face up to 50 years in prison. It’s important that at this time, the charges against Lucas are allegations and he remains innocent until proven otherwise at trial. 

If you or your staff are being investigated for health care fraud, it is vital to speak with an experienced attorney that understands the severity with which the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting similar cases. To set up a discreet consultation with the team at Padula Law, please call (305) 455-5206.