Milwaukee Man Sentenced in Medicaid Scheme

Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager announced that Michael Kushnir, 62, of Fox Point, Wisconsin, was sentenced in Milwaukee County Circuit Court to three years imprisonment and three years extended supervision for felony Medical Assistance (M.A.) fraud. He was accused of using a physician’s M.A. provider number to send false claims to the state program from his clinic, and collecting more than $19,000.

The court stayed the sentence and placed Kushnir on 3 years probation. Kushnir was convicted after entering a plea of guilty on July 14, 2005.

As a condition of probation, Kushnir must maintain full time employment, surrender his Medicaid provider number and must not engage in any business that bills any government program. Kushnir must also pay a fine of $25,000.

According to the Department of Justice’s criminal complaint, Kushnir owned a medical clinic called K&R Medical Inc., 6401 West Capitol Drive, Milwaukee. In 2002, Kushnir used a physician’s M.A. provider number to bill for services on dates when that provider was not employed by K&R.

The clinic was subsequently reimbursed more than $19,000 by the Medicaid program for these false claims.