Dr. Edward Albert Balbas
CORONA — Dr. Edward Albert Balbas, M.D., Chiropractor Jon Brunelle, D.C., and Alejandro Brunelle were recently arrested for insurance fraud. The trio conspired to submit over 165 fraudulent bills to health insurers.
The amount pilfered was $380,000 and occurred over a 3-year period.
Jon Brunnelle
Their ruse involved marking up insurance reimbursement claims for out-of-state lab tests. The test normally cost between $312 and $625. They billed insurers $4,256 for these tests.
“Patients should be able to trust that medical professionals are making medical decisions based on patient needs and conducting their practice ethically,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “These defendants took extraordinary steps to hide their alleged crime and violate the trust of their patients and the medical profession.”
All three surrendered at Riverside County Court, were each issued bail at $382,000, posted bail and were released. They were required to prove that the money they put up for bail did not come from alleged illegal activity. Their next court date is set for October 24.
