FARGO, N.D. (AP) - A Nebraska woman accused of visiting hundreds of medical facilities around the country to buy unnecessary prescription drugs with her Medicare benefits has a plea-change hearing set for December in Fargo.
Lowie Norma Christie appears to have been involved in an elaborate doctor-shopping scheme, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday. Court documents show that Christie, who is charged with six counts of health care fraud, has signed a plea agreement in the case that is being prosecuted in North Dakota, where she is accused of obtaining prescriptions at four hospitals.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges in August.
“We don’t see a lot of cases where we are charging Medicare beneficiaries,” said Matthew Greenley, special assistant U.S. attorney representing the Department of Health and Human Services. “This was really an egregious example of what appears to be doctor shopping.”
A federal public defender declined to comment.
Authorities say Christie caused about 1,830 claims to be submitted to Medicare for prescription drugs between January 2007 and July 2013. Medicare allegedly paid providers more than $107,000 during that period. Prosecutors are asking that Christie pay back the money.
Investigators say Christie would usually tell emergency doctors and nurses she had recently seen a doctor for shingles and ran out of pain medication, but was from out of town and could not see her regular doctor.
Court documents accuse Christie of obtaining prescriptions at four hospitals in North Dakota - two in Jamestown and two in Fargo. She obtained a prescription for a morphine injection at one of the Jamestown hospitals, according to the documents.
Christie faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The plea-change hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7.
Medicare reimburses for medical services only if they are “reasonable and medically necessary” to the diagnosis and treatment of the beneficiary’s illness or injury. The program is meant to provide benefits to individuals over age 65 as well as people with disabilities.
Christie was issued her Medicare card in January 2003, court documents show.
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