Federal prosecutors allege that a Nevada doctor generated millions in revenue through unnecessary treatments and false Medicare billing. Stephen Dubin, a physician based in Henderson, faces federal charges for his alleged participation in a scheme that involved billing for advanced wound care products on patients who did not need them.
The indictment accuses Dubin of owning and operating Dubin Medical Consultants, also known as Wound MD, and collaborating with distributors to supply amniotic wound grafts. These products are made from donated human tissue and are sometimes used to treat difficult wounds, though their use is typically reserved for specific cases where standard treatments have failed.
Court documents indicate that patients received these grafts even when standard wound care had not been fully completed or attempted. In some instances, the products were placed on infected wounds or lesions that were too small to require the amount of material used. Prosecutors believe the medical decisions were driven by the potential for payment rather than the well-being of the patient.
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Dubin is further accused of altering patient records to make the treatments appear medically necessary. Records were changed to comply with Medicare billing rules and to support payment requests that might otherwise have been denied. The funds obtained through this alleged fraud were reportedly used to support an expensive lifestyle.
The defendant has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and five counts of health care fraud. If convicted, each fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
The Justice Department said its Health Care Fraud Strike Force program has charged more than 6,200 defendants since 2007. Those cases involved more than $45 billion in false billings submitted to federal health care programs and private insurance companies.
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Officials noted that this case marks the first announced Nevada prosecution handled through the National Fraud Enforcement Division since the launch of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force. That group was formed earlier this year to unite federal prosecutors and investigators from several western states to pursue health care fraud cases involving government insurance programs.
Federal officials stated they will continue working with partner agencies to investigate suspected fraud and protect taxpayer-funded health care programs from abuse.
The investigation is being handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Fraud Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada are managing the case.
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