Lehigh Times

A nurse practitioner from Bradford County has been charged with multiple felony violations that include multiple counts of false billing while engaged in a personal relationship with her patient.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro arrested Stephanie King, 45, of Ulster for felony violations of the Drug Act, insurance fraud and Medicaid fraud, according to a release from the attorney general's office. She is also charged with prescribing medications without a collaborating doctor and multiple counts of false billing.

“This defendant is accused of engaging in activity that violated her responsibilities as a medical professional and stole resources meant to help our most vulnerable,” Shapiro said in the release. “We will not allow individuals to compromise our Commonwealth’s health care programs and put patients at risk.”

King faces 22 felony counts. According to the release, she is charged with three felony counts of Violation of the Controlled Substance; Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act; two felony counts of insurance fraud; six felony counts of Medicaid fraud; six felony counts of forgery; two felony counts of tampering with public records; and three felony counts of theft by deception.

According to the release, the investigation found that beginning in November 2016, King entered into a sexual relationship with a patient at her Athens practice and billed a private insurer for their “rendezvous” during this time. According to the release, King allegedly entered a second relationship with a patient and continued to prescribe controlled substances to him, despite discontinuing medical care for him after the relationship began.

Prosecutors allege King misled past physician collaborators and renewed previous prescription and treatment agreements without their knowledge. Under Pennsylvania law, “nurse practitioners are required to enter into collaborative agreements with Pennsylvania licensed physicians in order to perform medical diagnoses and to prescribe controlled substances,” the release states.

In total, the investigation found that King falsely billed in excess of $300,000 to private insurers, as well as $100,000 to the commonwealth for services below acceptable medical treatment standards. Additionally, she allegedly wrote over 3,750 prescriptions to patients while not meeting the requirements to prescribe under Pennsylvania law.