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Chicago psychiatrist pleads guilty in kickback case

Posted February 13, 2015 10:00 pm

The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago psychiatrist has pleaded guilty to taking illegal kickbacks of nearly $600,000 to prescribe an anti-psychotic drug to his patients.

Dr. Michael J. Reinstein entered the plea Friday in federal court in Chicago. A judge will set a date for sentencing. Reinstein's plea agreement calls for the government to recommend a sentence of 18.5 months in prison.

Reinstein also agreed to pay the United States and Illinois $3.79 million to settle a parallel civil lawsuit regarding the alleged submission of at least 140,000 false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.

The government says those claims were for the clozapine he prescribed for thousands of elderly and indigent mentally ill patients in at least 30 area nursing homes and other facilities.

Illinois regulators suspended the 71-year-old Reinstein's license last year.

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