Two former Wichita chiropractors and brothers have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud that resulted in federal payments of $3.7 million.
Bradley Eck, 54 and Todd Eck 58, both from Wichita, are alleged to have received the payments from Medicare and Tricare between 2017 and 2019.
As part of their plea agreement, the brothers were ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office for Kansas on Wednesday.
The brothers were indicted in August 2022 on one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, two counts of false statements related to healthcare matters, one count of healthcare fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of money laundering and one count of money laundering conspiracy, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
The pair were “accused of allegedly creating several business and misrepresenting the ownership of the enterprises in the documents, submitting false billing for medical services not administered to patients, using a physician’s provider number without his authorization and falsifying the physician’s electronic signature indicating on documents that he performed medical procedures he did not,” an August news release from the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Four businesses were created in the three years the brothers are alleged to have participated in healthcare fraud. The indictment lists the following businesses owned by the brothers: Vibrant Life for Kansas, Missouri Pain Care Group, Tulsa Pain Care Group and Antidote Medical Partners.
The Kansas Board of Healing Arts revoked the brothers’ licenses after multiple disciplinary actions and fines. Bradley Eck’s license was revoked in January 2013 for gross negligence, professional incompetency and dishonesty.
Todd Eck’s license was revoked in May 2018 for violation of an order, fraud during license renewal, practicing medicine without a license, fraudulent medical records and failure to maintain records.
The brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2025 and could face up to a maximum of five years in prison.
