Glenview psychologist charged with health care fraud

A psychologist who practiced in north suburban Glenview was indicted on federal fraud charges after allegedly submitting false claims to Medicare and private insurers.

Pamela Antell, 66, of Deerfield, was charged with five counts of health care fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft, according the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

From 2011 to the start of this year, Antell submitted the sham claims for mental health services she never carried out, prosecutors said.

Antell, who also goes by Pamela Gruenhut, was out of state on some of the dates she claimed to have provided treatment, prosecutors said. She also used some of her patients’ names and birth dates to create phony claim forms without their knowledge.

After being arrested Tuesday morning, Antell pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and was released on a personal recognizance bond, prosecutors said. Her next court date was set for Oct. 24.

Each count of health care fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison, prosecutors said. An aggravated identity theft conviction carries a mandatory prison sentence of two years, which must be served consecutively.