WORCESTER – A local woman pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a scheme to defraud MassHealth on Tuesday, September 21.
Robin Cronin, 58, of Worcester, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of health care fraud. The judge in the case scheduled sentencing for Jan 21, 2022.
A grand jury indicted Cronin, along with dentists Dr. Anthony DiStefano III and Dr. Scott Cale, both who practiced in Worcester, in connection with a Medicare Fraud scheme in January 2020.
According to the indictment, from 2014 to 2018, dental services that DiStefano personally delivered were billed to MassHealth using Cale’s provider identification credentials. The purpose of this arrangement was to deceive MassHealth into paying for dental services that were not reimbursable. Cale then allgedly paid DiStefano a share of the money that MassHealth paid Cale.
Cronin, DiStefano’s office manager, was aware of the arrangement and personally billed MassHealth for services that were not reimbursable, knowing that the claims were false.
MassHealth previously terminated DiStefano over concerns regarding the quality of care he provided to patients.
The charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
