Helen Boerman, an optometrist in Brentwood, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent Medicare claims and was sentenced on September 10, 2026 to 42 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release. Over roughly three and a half years, she submitted approximately $11 million in false Medicare claims and received about $6.9 million, billing Medicare for services patients did not receive, submitting claims for wound care products she had not purchased or used, and often by splitting single‑use products and billing as if new products were used each time. She also directed her staff to create false appointment and service records to support these fraudulent claims.
In addition to the 42 month federal prison sentence, Boerman was also ordered to pay $6,970,583.50 in restitution.
Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos
The opinions, comments, and content expressed or implied in my statements are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the position or views of Intellicure or any of the boards on which I serve.
Why is an Optometrist offering Wound Care anyway?