Former Pennsylvania chiropractor charged for alleged role in staged bus accident claims

Published: 2009-03-24 08:05:43
Author: Bob Graham, IFAwebnews, September 2, 2008

A former Bucks County, Pa., chiropractor has been linked to fraudulent injury claims submitted after two staged bus crashes in Philadelphia.

The woman, Dr. Eileen Means, 60, of Churchville, Pa., former owner and operator of Frankford Therapy in the 4700 block of Frankford Ave. in Philadelphia, is accused of fraudulently billing two insurance companies for more than $27,000 for treatments to patients who claimed to have been injured in staged bus accidents, Pennsylvania prosecutors said.

Her involvement came to the attention of investigators, who learned that one of the people involved in one of the accidents told them he knew in advance it would happen.

Means allegedly submitted claims to Lancer Insurance Co. and Rutgers Insurance Co. for 53 days to 60 days worth of treatments that she claimed to have provided to five patients from the two bus accidents. These bills totaled more than $27,000 and Lancer paid more than $13,000 and Rutgers paid nearly $7,000.

Agents said that none of the five patients were treated more than 20 days.

Additionally, Means' bills and treatment notes were reviewed by an expert in the detection of fraud in chiropractic billing, who concluded that the course of treatment claimed in Means' bills, even if it had been performed, would have served no legitimate therapeutic purpose and would have simply served to run up a large bill, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett.

"Dr. Means' scam was just another part of the elaborate attempt to scam the bus companies, Lancer and Rutgers," Corbett said. "The treatments that she billed for were not done and, even if they had been done, they would have served no purpose other than to defraud the insurers."

Means is charged with 15 counts of insurance fraud, five counts of criminal attempt theft by deception, five counts of theft by deception and one count of corrupt organizations.

On Aug. 31, 2003, a chartered bus, headed from Philadelphia to Atlantic City and operated by Starr Transit Co. was struck by a car at Berkley and Morris Streets, within minutes after it departed from the Germantown section of Philadelphia.

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