What Happened
Soaries Maxine Peterson, M.D., 68, a Muskegon, Michigan physician, pleaded guilty on May 25, 2022 to one count of health care fraud for billing Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield for office visits she did not perform, including visits by patients seeking monthly controlled substance prescriptions. In a global settlement she agreed to pay $500,000 to resolve False Claims Act liability and federal Controlled Substances Act liability. The United States alleged she wrote controlled substance prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose. She surrendered her DEA registration for cause and agreed never to reapply. Sentencing was set for September 7, 2022.
“Dr. Peterson wrote prescriptions for controlled substances to her patients without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.