Daniel Canchola, 49, Was Charged in a Medicare Fraud Scheme

Family doctors provide invaluable assistance for both families and individuals managing various medical conditions, and act as the initial point of contact. When necessary, they refer patients on to specialist physicians as necessary.

Texas doctor Christopher Robertson has admitted taking part in a $54 million Medicare fraud scheme, the government alleges. Robertson received kickbacks for placing orders for cancer genetic tests and durable medical equipment that weren’t legitimately prescribed, needed or used.

Early Life and Education

Canchola employed telemarketers and health fair vendors who targeted unsuspecting Medicare beneficiaries at home or health fairs from August 2018 through April 2019, as reported by the government. These scammers convinced seniors to provide their insurance information as well as saliva samples for nonmedically necessary genetic cancer risk tests, said Canchola’s government contractors.

Canchola signed orders for durable medical equipment and cancer genetic testing without ever meeting or speaking to those being referred, while also receiving illegal kickbacks for his referrals of test and equipment referrals.

On Wednesday, a Flower Mound doctor entered his plea of guilty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is facing up to 20 years of incarceration. A federal district court judge will be responsible for sentencing him based upon U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Professional Career

Daniel Canchola is a Family Doctor that offers comprehensive healthcare treatment to families and individuals alike. He treats an array of diseases, illnesses and conditions and refers patients when necessary to specialized physicians.

As reported in a Justice Department press release, Canchola electronic signed orders for durable medical equipment and cancer genetic testing that were submitted as false claims to Medicare totaling more than $54 million in total. He received $30 for every order signed but never met or saw his beneficiaries, who also never knew about what they had signed for.

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Achievement and Honors

Canchola was charged in a Medicare fraud scheme in 2013 for prescribing medically unnecessary cancer genetic tests without first consulting with patients, receiving illegal kickbacks and bribes in return. His scheme resulted in over $69 Million worth of fraudulent claims being submitted under Medicare.

Canchola often puts his personal “honey-do” list aside in favor of helping strangers across the country. For instance, Canchola and fellow soldiers from Fort George G. Meade’s 781st Military Intelligence Battalion recently helped Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake renovate homes on McCabe Street as part of their unit service project. Working alongside volunteers from their community they completed renovations on four homes!

Personal Life

Daniel Canchola, 49, from Flower Mound, Texas was one of 35 individuals charged in a Medicare fraud scheme exposed by CBS News reporter Jim Axelrod in 2019. Telemarketers targeted seniors and enticed them to submit saliva samples for “free” genetic cancer risk tests; then scammers coordinated with doctors and laboratories to bill Medicare for unnecessary chemotherapy (CGx) orders and durable medical equipment (DME), yielding millions in fraudulent claims.

The DOJ claims Canchola participated in an illegal scheme to electronically sign DME and CGx orders for patients he never saw, spoke with or treated and receive $30 in kickbacks per order submitted electronically. Altogether he submitted over $54 million in false claims.

He was found guilty of conspiring to commit wire fraud and awaits sentencing, with possible suspension of his Texas medical license as a possible outcome.

Net Worth

Canchola used cancer fears among seniors to take advantage of electronic signatures on medical equipment and cancer genetic testing orders that he knew would be used to submit over $54 million in fraudulent Medicare claims. CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Jim Axelrod found out about this scheme in 2019, who discovered telemarketing recruiters enticing seniors into providing insurance information and saliva samples even though such tests weren’t needed for Medicare reimbursement purposes.

From August 2018 through April of 2019, Canchola received over $466,000 in illegal kickbacks.

Canchola is facing 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Additionally, his medical license in Texas has been suspended while this matter is investigated by its state board of medicine.