CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago OB-GYN has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a wide-ranging health care fraud scheme that endangered patients and defrauded government and private insurance programs of more than $1.5 million.
Dr. Mona Ghosh, 52, of Inverness, owned and operated Progressive Women’s Healthcare in Hoffman Estates. From 2018 to 2022, she orchestrated a scheme in which her practice billed Medicaid, TRICARE, and numerous private insurers for procedures that were medically unnecessary—or in some cases, never even performed.
Fraudulent Billing and Unconsented Procedures
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, Ghosh not only exaggerated billing codes to inflate reimbursements but also performed medical procedures without patient consent, including:
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Endometrial ablations
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Biopsies
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Ultrasounds
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STD testing and vaccinations
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Lab blood tests
She further falsified patient records to support her claims and manipulated telemedicine logs to reflect more complex services than actually delivered.
Victim Impact and Legal Outcome
U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama delivered the sentence this week, ordering Ghosh to also pay $1.5 million in restitution. The sentence followed her guilty plea to two counts of health care fraud last year.
Federal prosecutors emphasized the toll on her patients:
“Dr. Ghosh’s fraud scheme was particularly egregious because she endangered the health of her patients by performing unnecessary medical procedures, including some that severely limited future reproductive ability,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We applaud the victims’ strength in coming forward.”
Wider Response from Federal Investigators
Multiple agencies collaborated on the case, including:
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FBI – Chicago Division
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HHS Office of Inspector General
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Department of Defense – DCIS
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Illinois Attorney General’s Office
FBI Special Agent Douglas S. DePodesta condemned Ghosh’s actions:
“She traumatized patients, lied to insurers, and stole taxpayer money to feed her greed… This conduct reflects an extreme betrayal of trust.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent Mario Pinto noted the harm to patients was not only financial but deeply personal:
“Physicians who place profits above patient care must be held accountable. This case reflects the real human cost of medical fraud.”
Red Flags and Community Impact
This case highlights the ongoing risk of fraudulent medical billing in suburban practices and the importance of patient advocacy and oversight in OB-GYN settings, where trust is especially critical.
Law enforcement says the public and especially service members relying on TRICARE should feel reassured that providers engaging in deception will be rooted out.
Have You Had a Bad Medical Billing Experience?
If you’ve been a patient in the Chicago suburbs and noticed unauthorized procedures or surprise bills, we want to hear from you. Share your story in the comments below.
