Mass. Psychologists to Pay to Settle Allegations of Improper Billing

Two Massachusetts psychologists have agreed to pay a combined $22,914 to settle allegations they improperly billed for medically unnecessary tests, Attorney General Tom Reilly announced.

Richard J. Greene, Ph. D., of Cambridge, will pay $15,048 and Jeffrey Jampel, Ph.D., of Brookline, will pay $7,866 as part of an agreement to settle the allegations.

In 1999, the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) and the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) began an investigation into allegations that the psychologists had submitted claims for psychological testing services which were not medically necessary.

The investigation reportedly found that former Fall River psychiatrist Kobrin referred his patients to the two psychologists to whom he rented space and the patients were required to submit to periodic medically unnecessary psychological testing before Kobrin would issue them prescriptions for controlled substances.

In 2002, Kobrin was convicted of illegal prescribing and causing false statements on Medicaid claims for psychological testing. Those convictions are presently on appeal. Kobrin’s medical license was revoked in 2004, and the revocation was upheld by the Supreme Judicial Court. Doctors Jampel and Greene voluntarily ceased their association with Kobrin in 1998, and cooperated with the MFCU and the DMA.

Doctors Jampel and Greene neither admit nor deny any wrongdoing as part of this settlement and the settlement does not affect the current practices of the doctors.