Federal prosecutors allege a doctor used her Highland practice to bilk $9 million from Medicare over nearly a decade for sinus procedures she never did.
Dr. Bethany A. Cataldi, 53, of Chesterton, was indicted Nov. 20 with three counts, including healthcare fraud. She has pleaded not guilty.
Court records allege the Center for Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery did this from March 2015 to December 2023. At least eight patients confirmed to investigators their operations never happened.
In total, Cataldi’s practice billed Medicaid for $16.5 million and got reimbursed for $9 million for over 1,800 balloon sinuplasty procedures – an outpatient procedure used to treat chronic sinus infections. Investigators estimated she only had supplies for 100 patients.
About 86% of the fraudulent claims happened from December 2017 on.
Cataldi was also indicted for knowingly and willfully making false, fictitious and fraudulent statements, and knowingly engaging and attempting to engage in monetary transactions affecting commerce.
A trial date is currently set for January.
mcolias@post-trib.com
