An Inver Grove Heights man is the latest Twin Cities chiropractor to be indicted in connection with an alleged health-care fraud scheme related to “no-fault” auto insurance.
Timothy Wayne Guthman, 43, has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, the Minnesota Commerce Department said Wednesday. Guthman owns Inver Family Chiropractic in Inver Grove Heights and Team Chiropractic in Minneapolis.
From at least 2012 through 2015, according to the indictment, Guthman used recruiters, known as “runners,” to identify patients for chiropractic treatment that the patients often did not need. Guthman allegedly would pay the runners $500 to $1,500 for each patient they steered to his clinic.
Guthman then billed auto insurance companies for treatments or for services that were not provided, according to the March 22 indictment, which is the result of a continuing investigation by the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau and the FBI.
In December, federal prosecutors charged 21 people, including six chiropractors, with conspiring to commit health care fraud by allegedly billing insurance companies more than $20 million in a similar scheme.
Guthman had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on March 24 and pleaded not guilty. A trial is set for March 31.