A Tennessee optometrist has pleaded guilty to a multimillion-dollar health care fraud scheme that federal prosecutors say defrauded Medicare and other government programs out of millions of dollars over several years.Helen Berman, 48, of Brentwood, admitted earlier this week that she defrauded Medicare of nearly $6.9 million through false billing involving her eye care practice, Brentwood Eye Care.“Eliminating fraud in federal programs and holding fraudsters accountable is one of the Justice Department’s highest priorities,” said United States Attorney Braden Boucek.He added: “This case reflects 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, Berman used his practice to submit false claims to Medicare over a period of approximately three and a half years. Prosecutors said she billed for wound care treatments that were not actually provided, in part by splitting single-use medical products and creating false documents to justify additional charges.In one example cited in court filings, Borman allegedly submitted claims for multiple days of treatment for two patients, even though records showed they only attended appointments on three of those days. He then instructed employees to create false records to match the billing submissions. Between March 2020 and October 2024, Borman submitted false claims to TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, a scheme run by Medicare.Berman admitted that he submitted false claims totaling approximately $11 million, and received payments of approximately $6.9 million.He will be sentenced on September 10, 2026, and faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
