Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Dr. David Young, 61, has been convicted by a federal jury for submitting over $70 million in fraudulent health care claims. Young wrote fraudulent prescriptions for unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests for more than 13,000 beneficiaries, receiving $475,000 in illegal kickbacks from providers.
“This successful investigation by my office demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting taxpayers and fighting fraud,” said Attorney General Paxton. “We remain steadfast in our mission to ensure that lawless individuals who exploit our health care system and steal taxpayer funds are brought to justice.”
Young was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and three counts of false statements relating to health care matters, each with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. His sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.
The investigation was led by Sergeant Michelle Killinger, Investigative Auditor Jennifer Blakely, and Captain Justin Boyce of Paxton’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Brynn Scheiss and Ethan Womble of the Department of Justice Strike Force.
Since 2021, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has recovered over $612 million in settlements, judgments, and restitution for Texas taxpayers. The MFCU receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, totaling $20,944,200 for fiscal year 2023, with the remaining 25 percent, totaling $6,981,395, funded by the State of Texas. Over the past three years, the OAG’s MFCU has recovered more than $49 for every dollar of state funding.