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Fact #97 MoneyEnforcement

$120 millionFraudulent bills tied to one pill mill doctor

Prosecutors said a Michigan doctor who pioneered a "shots-for-pills" opioid protocol was responsible for over $120 million in fraudulent bills submitted to insurers.

Dr. Francisco Patino required patients to accept an unnecessary back injection, billed to Medicare and Medicaid, before he would renew their opioid prescription. A federal jury convicted him in September 2021, and he was sentenced on January 30, 2023 to 16.5 years in federal prison.

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Source: WILX-TV (NBC Lansing). Read more: pill mill fraud · case file

Sources

  1. Michigan doctor behind bars for distributing unnecessary opioids. WILX-TV (NBC Lansing). Accessed 2026-10-16. Supports: The $120 million in fraudulent bills attributed specifically to Patino, the January 30, 2023 sentencing date, the 16.5-year sentence, and the Justice Department's quote describing him as responsible for the $120 million figure.