New York doctor Edgard Salazar charged in alleged $6.8M Medicare telemedicine brace scheme linked to TelevisitMD

What happened

The U.S. Justice Department said on 12 November 2026 that a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment on Tuesday charging Dr. Edgard Salazar, 57, of Armonk, New York, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and five counts of health care fraud. According to court documents, the telemedicine company TelevisitMD allegedly let Salazar sign pre-filled prescriptions for orthotic braces for Medicare beneficiaries who did not need them; he allegedly did not examine or treat the patients, often did not speak to them, and signed prescriptions even when patients said they did not want braces. He is also accused of billing Medicare for telemedicine consultations he never performed. Prosecutors allege he took part in submitting more than $6.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. TelevisitMD owner Christopher Harwood pleaded guilty in March 2026 and was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison. An indictment is an allegation; Salazar is presumed innocent and no plea was reported.

How the scam works

A charge, an arraignment, a witness's testimony or a prosecutor's accusation is not a finding of guilt. People and companies named in these reports are accused, charged or, where the source says so, convicted or sentenced, and they are presumed innocent unless and until a court finds otherwise. Do not treat a news report or a press release as a substitute for a court judgment. If you think you were affected by the same kind of scheme, keep records and report them to the investigating agency named in the source, or to your local police and your bank.

Source

Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-doctor-charged-68m-medicare-fraud-scheme (U.S. Department of Justice, 12 Nov 2026)