Home / Crime and Justice / Georgia Lab Accused of Falsifying DNA Test Claims
Georgia Lab Accused of Falsifying DNA Test Claims
7 Jun
Summary
- Lab allegedly billed Medicaid for genetic tests doctors did not order.
- Patients allegedly did not provide DNA samples for numerous tests.
- Over $300,000 in Georgia Medicaid payments are tied to alleged fraud.
Georgia officials have accused Maged Awad, operating K&S Clinical Diagnostics Consulting Services, LLC, of defrauding the state's Medicaid program. A civil complaint and criminal indictment allege that between May 2020 and June 2024, the lab submitted false claims for genetic screening tests. These claims were allegedly for tests that lacked legitimate physician orders.
Most notably, the Attorney General's Office stated that numerous patients for whom these tests were billed had not even supplied DNA samples. The criminal indictment, filed in Cobb County, specifies that Awad is accused of fraudulently obtaining over $300,000 in payments from Georgia Medicaid through these genetic-testing claims.
Awad faces three counts of Medicaid fraud. The charges are currently allegations, and Awad is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. This case is part of a larger effort by the Attorney General's office to combat fraud within Georgia Medicaid related to genetic testing schemes. The division has previously secured significant convictions and settlements for Medicaid fraud and abuse.
