West Lawn chiroprator facing federal health care fraud charges

A chiropractor with a clinic in the West Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side has been charged with submitting at least $10 million in bogus claims to Medicare and private insurers.

Henry Posada, 54, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 18 counts of health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Posada ran the Associated Back Care and Rehabilitation clinic in the 4300 block of West 63rd Street, prosecutors said. Between 2008 and 2016, he submitted at least $10 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and private insurers, causing those programs to pay at least $5.1 million to Posada and his business, Spine Clinics of America.

He submitted the fraudulent claims for physical therapy and chiropractic services that were never provided, according to prosecutors. In some instances, Posada was out of the state on the dates he claimed to have provided services, while other times he used his patients’ names without their knowledge to create wholly fictitious claim forms.

The indictment seeks forfeiture of $5.1 million, as well as $850,000 in cashier checks, a 2013 Lexus LX 570 SUV, and a property in Watseka.

Health care fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said. Posada is scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing May 30.