Attorney General Mark Brnovich says an additional 44 summonses have been served on current or former employees of the Kokopelli Eye Institute in the case against Dr. Michael Lee Ham. He's an eye surgeon who was recently indicted for an alleged fraudulent billing scheme.
In a written news brief, Brnovich's office said it is alleged the additional defendants assisted Ham in a variety of ways to falsify patients’ medical records for the purpose of inducing government agencies and third-party insurers to pay for cataract and other eye surgeries on patients of Kokopelli Eye Care from 2009 through the Fall of 2018.
The AG's statement said is possible some patients had cataract surgeries that were not medically necessary.
Ham was arrested on January 2nd in Prescott Valley. He appeared in court for his arraignment on Monday in Yavapai County Superior Court.
He is charged with Conspiracy, Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, and other charges for allegedly defrauding Medicare, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).
UPDATE: An attorney representing Dr. Michael Ham issued a written statement. It said: "Dr. Ham is a longstanding and trusted caregiver in the community for more than 20 years. At Kokopelli Eye Institute, patients are our number one priority. We remain open and our medical staff, including Dr. Ham, continues to provide quality care for our patients. We will vigorously oppose these charges and we believe we will ultimately be vindicated."