Former physician Morris Starkman is facing fraud and narcotics distribution charges for allegedly overprescribing opioids and carrying out an illegal medical billing scheme, Burlington County (N.J.) Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced Dec. 4.
Six things to know:
1. Dr. Starkman was charged with eight counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, four counts of healthcare claims fraud and two counts of insurance fraud. Prosecutors are preparing to present the case to a grand jury for a possible indictment.
2. Dr. Starkman allegedly prescribed nearly 1.4 million doses of opioids through his Bordentown Family Practice between Jan. 1, 2015, and Jan. 1, 2018. Eight of Dr. Starkman's patients received a daily average of 11 opioid doses during that period, and one received 17,460 doses during the three-year period, prosecutors said.
3. One of Dr. Starkman's patients fatally overdosed two months after an office visit where Dr. Starkman prescribed 120 oxycodone pills, according to records seized during a search of the former physician's home. Dr. Starkman wasn't criminally charged in connection with the death due to insufficient evidence.
4. Authorities alleged that Dr. Starkman would perform "cursory examinations" — if even that — before prescribing opioid doses that were up to 10 times the CDC's maximum recommended dose. He is accused of failing to document treatment plans or provide a legitimate medical purpose for those prescriptions.
5. During the same three-year period, Dr. Starkman also allegedly submitted over $50,000 in claims for services that weren't authorized, eligible for reimbursement, provided as represented, or performed at all. An insurance company contacted authorities on suspicion of illegal activity in late 2016.
6. Dr. Starkman's license was temporarily suspended by the state medical board in August 2017. He later agreed to permanently surrender his New Jersey medical license under a consent order.
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