The Division of Workers’ Compensation last month suspended 28 more medical providers from participating in California’s workers’ compensation system, bringing the total number of providers suspended to 159. The providers were suspended for fraud or other criminal actions, or the loss of their license.
Most notable among them was Khristine Eroshevich M.D., a Beverly Hills physician, was convicted in federal court in 2010 of unlawfully prescribing controlled substances following the death of of patient, actress Anna Nicole Smith, by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or concealment of a material fact.
Eroshevich wrote numerous unnecessary prescriptions for controlled substances using false names and information for individuals who were not her patients. Eroshevich was also suspended by the California Department of Health Care Services from participating in the Medi-Cal program for an indefinite period of time.
On October 6, 2017 Eroshevich filed a federal lawsuit against officials of the DIR. She alleges that the remaining misdemeanor count “was ordered set aside, a plea of not guilty was entered, and it was also dismissed by the Superior Court.” Thus it could not be used as grounds for her suspension.
Her federal action was dismissed on December 21 based upon the “Younger” abstention doctrine. In Younger v. Harris, [401 U.S. 37 (1971)], the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed the longstanding principle that federal courts sitting in equity cannot, absent exceptional circumstances, enjoin pending state criminal proceedings and civil enforcement actions “akin to” criminal proceedings.
Also suspended was Gary Ordog M.D., a Newhall physician and operator of a mobile medical clinic, who was convicted in 2016 of health care fraud for submitting claims to Medicare totaling approximately $6.5 million. Ordog submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for office visits or other outpatient visits that never occurred.
And Owusu Ananeh Firempong M.D., another Beverly Hills physician, who was convicted in 2012 in federal court of health care fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. Firempong was also convicted in 2011 in federal court of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to launder money. Firempong was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $800,000 in restitution. Firempong’s medical license was revoked in 2016.
The list of all of the 28 vendors who have been recently suspended is contained in the latest DWC notice, and on the DWC webpage that lists all suspended providers to date.