BR clinic chief convicted of fraud
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Scoliosis clinic director Arthur Copes was convicted on eight of nine insurance fraud charges Monday.
State District Judge Anthony Marabella rendered the verdict in the non-jury trial.
“The judge saw through Mr. Copes and his propensity to misrepresent himself and the facts,” former patient Pam DeVille of Lafayette said after court.
“I do believe justice was done,” said DeVille, who added that she spent $16,000 on back braces Copes recommended for her and her youngest daughter.
“I was told that my insurance would pay 80 percent,” she said, adding she never recovered the money spent on braces she said proved to be worthless.
Ed Gonzales, Copes’ defense attorney, said his client will appeal the conviction.
“Obviously, we don’t agree with the decision,” Gonzales said. “It’s a complicated matter. I believe it’s a case of billing errors that have been misconstrued as criminal.
“Many medical professionals don’t know about the billing aspects of their businesses,” he said.
Copes, who is not a medical doctor, testified last week he neither practices medicine without a license nor bills insurers for procedures that are not approved by medical professionals. The 51-year-old brace designer testified he did not know why staff members at his former clinic billed insurers for procedures that would have had to have been approved by a licensed medical professional.
Marabella said several of Copes’ former patients testified credibly when they said he was the only person they dealt with prior to receiving X-rays or other services that only medical professionals are supposed to deliver.
“There were no other medical doctors or chiropractors in the room,” Marabella said.
“He (Copes) does not tell the whole truth.”
“The court found his testimony to be very manipulative,” the judge said.
Gonzales disagreed.
“The judge appeared to base his decision on the fact that patients did not have treating or referring physicians,” Gonzales said after court.
“We believe that they did.”
DeVille said she initially thought Copes was her treating physician.
“He definitely worked hard to create that illusion,” DeVille said. “Everyone in the office referred to him as ‘Dr. Copes.’
“He introduced himself as ‘Dr. Copes.’ What else would you think?
“I got locked into what I affectionately referred to as ‘used-car medical.’ ’’
Copes holds a non-medical doctorate he earned in less than six months from a correspondence school that later closed amid allegations it was a diploma mill, Assistant Attorney General David Caldwell said.
Caldwell said outside the courtroom that insurers lost about $80,000 on the eight claims the judge decided were fraudulent.
The prosecutor added, though, that scores of other claims were denied by insurers to patients who thought their bills would be honored.
Those people lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.
“That’s the real tragedy,” Caldwell said. “These patients were paying their money up front (with promises insurance claims would be honored).
“A lot of those patients are still paying this off. Some took out second mortgages.”
Marabella scheduled a sentencing hearing Nov. 12.
He said Copes may remain free on bond of $50,000, but added he may not travel outside East Baton Rouge Parish without prior approval from the judge.
Possible penalties range from probation to 40 years in prison.
“We hope this court will shut his practice down,” Caldwell said. “He’s still seeing patients.”
DeVille said using Copes’ brace caused her back and abdominal muscles to atrophy to such an extent she required physical therapy from “certified trained professionals.”
“This is such a violation of trust,” DeVille added. “I will never again accept the title of ‘Doctor’ at face value. This is a wake-up call to people.”
State District Judge Anthony Marabella rendered the verdict in the non-jury trial.
“The judge saw through Mr. Copes and his propensity to misrepresent himself and the facts,” former patient Pam DeVille of Lafayette said after court.
“I do believe justice was done,” said DeVille, who added that she spent $16,000 on back braces Copes recommended for her and her youngest daughter.
“I was told that my insurance would pay 80 percent,” she said, adding she never recovered the money spent on braces she said proved to be worthless.
Ed Gonzales, Copes’ defense attorney, said his client will appeal the conviction.
“Obviously, we don’t agree with the decision,” Gonzales said. “It’s a complicated matter. I believe it’s a case of billing errors that have been misconstrued as criminal.
“Many medical professionals don’t know about the billing aspects of their businesses,” he said.
Copes, who is not a medical doctor, testified last week he neither practices medicine without a license nor bills insurers for procedures that are not approved by medical professionals. The 51-year-old brace designer testified he did not know why staff members at his former clinic billed insurers for procedures that would have had to have been approved by a licensed medical professional.
Marabella said several of Copes’ former patients testified credibly when they said he was the only person they dealt with prior to receiving X-rays or other services that only medical professionals are supposed to deliver.
“There were no other medical doctors or chiropractors in the room,” Marabella said.
“He (Copes) does not tell the whole truth.”
“The court found his testimony to be very manipulative,” the judge said.
Gonzales disagreed.
“The judge appeared to base his decision on the fact that patients did not have treating or referring physicians,” Gonzales said after court.
“We believe that they did.”
DeVille said she initially thought Copes was her treating physician.
“He definitely worked hard to create that illusion,” DeVille said. “Everyone in the office referred to him as ‘Dr. Copes.’
“He introduced himself as ‘Dr. Copes.’ What else would you think?
“I got locked into what I affectionately referred to as ‘used-car medical.’ ’’
Copes holds a non-medical doctorate he earned in less than six months from a correspondence school that later closed amid allegations it was a diploma mill, Assistant Attorney General David Caldwell said.
Caldwell said outside the courtroom that insurers lost about $80,000 on the eight claims the judge decided were fraudulent.
The prosecutor added, though, that scores of other claims were denied by insurers to patients who thought their bills would be honored.
Those people lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.
“That’s the real tragedy,” Caldwell said. “These patients were paying their money up front (with promises insurance claims would be honored).
“A lot of those patients are still paying this off. Some took out second mortgages.”
Marabella scheduled a sentencing hearing Nov. 12.
He said Copes may remain free on bond of $50,000, but added he may not travel outside East Baton Rouge Parish without prior approval from the judge.
Possible penalties range from probation to 40 years in prison.
“We hope this court will shut his practice down,” Caldwell said. “He’s still seeing patients.”
DeVille said using Copes’ brace caused her back and abdominal muscles to atrophy to such an extent she required physical therapy from “certified trained professionals.”
“This is such a violation of trust,” DeVille added. “I will never again accept the title of ‘Doctor’ at face value. This is a wake-up call to people.”
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