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A federal judge has sent a clear message: stealing from Medicare will land you behind bars. This week, a former New Hampshire doctor, now living in Georgia, was sentenced to prison for signing bogus medical orders that led to about $1.9 million in billed Medicare claims. The government says roughly $761,203 was actually paid out on those fake claims. Taxpayers deserve better than that kind of thievery.
Sentence and key facts
U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro sentenced Steven Powell to 12 months and one day in federal prison and ordered him to repay $761,202.75 — the money Medicare paid on the fraudulent claims. Prosecutors say Powell signed orders for durable medical equipment, like knee and back braces, without ever examining or meaningfully evaluating more than 500 Medicare beneficiaries. Those orders generated about 1,400 claims to Medicare and more than $1.9 million in billed charges.
How the scheme worked
The court papers describe a cold, mechanical operation. Powell allegedly approved large batches of pre‑populated brace orders in minutes, making any real medical review impossible. In one example, he signed more than 100 pages that required 75 signatures in just over a minute. That’s not medicine. That’s a rubber stamp with a stethoscope strapped on for show.
Why this matters — and who’s watching
Officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the HHS Office of Inspector General say this prosecution is part of a broader crackdown on DME and telehealth fraud. And rightly so. Every dollar siphoned off by schemes like this is a dollar not spent on real care for seniors and low‑income Americans. If we want a sustainable Medicare program, we need enforcement — and deterrence — not yawns and paperwork.
Enforcement, reform, and a final thought
Powell’s sentence and restitution show the government can and will hold bad actors to account. But prosecution alone won’t stop every scam. Congress and regulators should tighten oversight of DME billing, telehealth approvals, and the paperwork that lets a crooked actor turn a medical license into an ATM. Until then, taxpayers should expect more headlines like this — and keep their wallets closed to people who treat the system like free money. The courts did their job here; now it’s time for policy to catch up.
