Little Rock doctor pleads guilty in fraudulent billing of $2.2M

A Little Rock doctor pleaded guilty Tuesday to committing health care fraud with fraudulent billing that exceeded $2.2 million, U.S. Attorney Christopher Thyer said.

Dr. Robert Barrow, 62, admitted to conspiring with a local massage therapist, Billy Marc Young, when he referred patients to Young and billed Young's services to health insurers under Barrow's provider number as physical therapy, according to a statement.

Barrow, who operated a clinic under the name Your Doctor's Office, also admitted that he "abused his position of trust and that his scheme victimized health insurers and former patients alike in that some former patients bore out-of-pocket expenses… believing that they were receiving physical therapy," Thyer said.

Young pleaded guilty in April 2014 to his involvement in Barrow's scheme.

With the plea agreement, Barrow is ordered to pay $702,361.12 in restitution to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as up to $100,000 to former patients who were victims of the scheme.

Additional pending charges against Barrow and his wife, Dr. Angela Barrow, have also been dropped as part of the plea agreement.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit health care fraud is 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.

According to the statement, sentencing will follow "at a later date."

Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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