LOS ANGELES — 32-year-old Troy Hodges has been arrested on 13 counts of disability fraud, according to the Fraud Division of the California Department of Insurance, and he is alleged to have forged documents that enabled him to falsely collect over $6,000 in disability claim benefits.
“Losses from health insurance fraud are larger than any other type of insurance fraud,” Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a press release by the Department of Insurance. “These crimes are a multi-billion dollar drain on our economy and everyone pays for these losses through higher insurance premiums.”
According to the press release, Hodges altered and submitted several physician statement forms that allowed him to claim disability even though he hadn’t actually been to a doctor. What’s more, these forgeries were what allowed him to claim benefits for disabilities left unsubstantiated by a medical professional (Dept. of Insurance).
It was only during the processing of Hodges’ claim that his insurer was not able to verify the claim forms with the medical clinic, thereafter discovering that the forms were not authentic (Dept. of Insurance).
Hodges faces up to 16 years in state prison if convicted on all counts, with bail currently set at $200,000. The case is being handled by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (Dept. of Insurance).
