A Tennessee ophthalmologist has pleaded guilty in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud scheme that federal prosecutors say defrauded Medicare and other government programs of millions of dollars over several years.48-year-old Helen Burman of Brentwood admitted earlier this week that she defrauded Medicare out of about $6.9 million through false billings tied to her eye care practice, Brentwood Eye Care.“Eliminating fraud in federal programs and holding fraudsters accountable is among the Department of Justice’s highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Braden Busiek.He added: “This case demonstrates our commitment to investigating fraud, finding those responsible and holding them accountable with prison sentences.
“We will not tolerate fraud against taxpayers here in the Middle District of Tennessee.”According to court documents, Borman used her practice over a period of approximately three and a half years to submit false claims to Medicare. Prosecutors said she paid for wound care treatments that were not actually provided, in part by dividing single-use medical products and creating false documentation to justify the additional charges.
In one example cited in court filings, Borman allegedly filed claims for several days of treatment for two patients even though records showed they only attended appointments on three of those days. She then directed employees to create false records to match invoice submissions. The scheme extended beyond Medicare, with Borman submitting false claims to TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program between March 2020 and October 2024.Borman admitted that she submitted false claims totaling approximately $11 million, and received approximately $6.9 million in payments.She will be sentenced on September 10, 2026 and faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
