Twin Dallas doctors have pleaded guilty to defrauding insurance companies of $45 million by giving thousands of patients expensive pain-relieving injections that didn’t even penetrate the skin.
Brothers Deno Barroga and Desi Barroga, 51, claimed the injections they were offering contained corticosteroid injections, anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat a range of conditions such as arthritis, sciatica and back pain.
Thousands of patients would attend his clinic monthly, and the treatment would be financed by the main injuries, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare.
But a legal investigation revealed that the twins, who specialize in rehabilitation, pressed needles against patients’ skin without injecting and rubbed the site with a local anesthetic, presumably to mimic the uncomfortable sensation of an injection.
Brothers Deno Barroga and Desi Barroga, 51, admitted to defrauding health insurance companies by submitting claims for corticosteroid injections (anti-inflammatory drugs to treat arthritis) that they never administered.
In 2016, Dr. Deno Barrogas (pictured) was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and undergo a prescription course after the board found he had improperly prescribed controlled substances and other medications to his patients.
The Barrogas told insurance companies that they performed up to 80 corticosteroid injections per patient, per visit.
The twins created fake medical records, which were typically cut and pasted, or cloned, from one patient to another with minimal changes.
They also told patients to include false statements about injections and other treatments in the registry.
The Barrogas admitted to billing insurers for at least $45 million and receiving at least $9 million between early 2016 and late 2022.
The men are now awaiting sentencing and face up to 10 years each in federal prison.
As part of the plan, doctors would ask patients to visit their office monthly to receive pain medications, including hydrocodone, oxycodone and morphine.
Both relinquished their DEA registrations and were forced to lose their medical licenses at least 14 days before sentencing.
The doctors, whose office was at 7515 Greenville Ave in Dallas, Texas, have come under scrutiny before.
In 2021, Desi received a recovery plan (an agreement to resolve an investigation) after the Texas Medical Board found that he did not properly maintain medical records, patient history, and exam details.
He was also ruled to have failed to provide acceptable justification for prescribing controlled substances, including fentanyl patches, to a patient.
Meanwhile, in 2016, Deno was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and undergo a prescription course after the board found he had improperly prescribed controlled substances and other medications to his patients.