Jersey City pediatrician pleads guilty to earning $200k through Medicaid fraud

A Jersey City pediatrician pleaded guilty to fraudulently billing Medicaid for over 1,000 wound repair procedures that were never performed – pocketing nearly $200,000 in profit as a result, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced. 

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

Badawy M. Badawy, 52, of Bayonne, pleaded guilty on Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court to a health care fraud charge, officials said..

According to the indictment, Badawy owned and operated Sinai Medical Center of Jersey City LLC, a medical practice focusing on pediatric and family medicine (better known as Pyramids Clinical on John F. Kennedy Boulevard).

From January 2004 through December 2008, Badawy submitted thousands of claims to Medicaid for wound repair procedures related to the repair of superficial wounds over 30 centimeters in length on a patient’s face, ears, eyelids, nose or lips as well as the repair of previously closed wounds, authorities said.

Badawy claimed to have performed these treatments on his patients, most of whom were children, according to court documents.

During his plea hearing, Badawy admitted that he regularly submitted claims for procedures that were never performed. As a result of his false claims, Badawy received $196,911 in Medicaid payments.

The charge of health care fraud carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the crime. Sentencing for Badawy is scheduled for May 20, 2015.