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			{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackman, Brett}}
	[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]		[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]
	[[Category:Health Care Fraud]]		[[Category:Health Care Fraud]]

Orderly: Create article: Brett Blackman (federal case)

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Create article: Brett Blackman (federal case)

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{{Infobox Person
|name = Brett Blackman
|age = 42 (at time of conviction)
|birth_place = Johnson County, Kansas
|residence = Johnson County, Kansas
|occupation = Founder and CEO, HealthSplash
|charges = Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; Conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks; Conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters
|conviction_date = May 14, 2026
|status = Convicted, awaiting sentencing
|sentencing_date = August 26, 2026 (scheduled)
|judge = U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
|case_number = Southern District of Florida
|known_for = $1 billion Medicare fraud conspiracy involving the DMERx platform
}}

'''Brett Blackman''' is an American businessman who founded and served as chief executive officer of HealthSplash, a health care software company. On May 14, 2026, a federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida convicted him of three conspiracy counts tied to a Medicare fraud scheme that billed federal health care programs more than $1 billion.<ref name="doj">U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. "Owner of Health Care Software Company Convicted of $1 Billion Dollar Medicare Fraud Conspiracy." May 14, 2026.</ref><ref name="cbs">CBS News. "Software company owner convicted for running 'cold, calculated' $1 billion Medicare fraud scheme." May 14, 2026.</ref>

The case centered on an internet-based platform called Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC, known as DMERx. HealthSplash acquired DMERx in September 2017. Prosecutors said the platform generated false doctors' orders and prescriptions for durable medical equipment, including orthotic braces that beneficiaries did not need. The orders carried the appearance of a genuine doctor's examination. In many cases the signing physician never spoke to the patient at all. Telemedicine companies were paid to sign. The equipment was then billed to Medicare and other federal programs.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="medecon">Medical Economics. "Jury convicts health care CEO for $1B Medicare fraud scheme." May 2026.</ref>

Federal programs were billed more than $1 billion under the scheme. They paid out more than $450 million.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="cbs"/> Blackman was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters. He awaits sentencing. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 26, 2026.<ref name="doj"/> He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on the health care and wire fraud conspiracy count, plus five years on each of the two remaining counts.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="cbs"/>

== Background ==

Brett Blackman was 42 years old at the time of his conviction. He is from Johnson County, Kansas.<ref name="tampafp">Tampa Free Press. "Florida Tech CEO From Kansas Busted In Massive $1 Billion Medicare Fraud Takedown." May 2026.</ref><ref name="ksn">KSN. "Kansas man found guilty in $1 billion healthcare fraud scheme." May 2026.</ref>

Blackman founded HealthSplash and served as its owner and chief executive. The company operated as a health care software business. Court records describe Blackman as the person who owned, controlled, and ran it.<ref name="doj"/> The conduct underlying the case stretched from at least 2015 through 2020. It touched several states. Prosecutors said the operation ran in and around South Florida, including Miami-Dade County, as well as in Kansas and Arizona.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="newsweek">Newsweek. "Fake Doctor Orders, Prescriptions: $1B Florida Medicare Fraud Conviction." May 2026.</ref>

== HealthSplash and the Scheme ==

In September 2017, HealthSplash acquired Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC. The company went by DMERx. It was an internet-based platform. Its function, according to the Justice Department, was to generate false and fraudulent doctors' orders for durable medical equipment and prescriptions for other items.<ref name="doj"/>

The platform sat at the center of a network. On one side were pharmacies, durable medical equipment suppliers, and marketers. On the other were telemedicine companies. DMERx connected them. The telemedicine companies accepted illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors' orders. The orders were then used to bill Medicare and other federal health care programs.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="medecon"/>

The orders and prescriptions generated through DMERx stated that a physician had examined and treated the beneficiary. That representation was false. Prosecutors said the doctors were paid to sign. They signed without regard to medical necessity. In some instances there was no interaction with the beneficiary at all.<ref name="doj"/>

Reaching beneficiaries required volume. The scheme targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries. Co-conspirators used overseas call centers and mailers to reach seniors and press them to accept orthotic braces and other equipment.<ref name="cbs"/><ref name="newsweek"/> The items were medically unnecessary. The signed orders made them look otherwise. The bills went to Medicare.<ref name="doj"/>

Federal programs were billed more than $1 billion. They paid more than $450 million on those bills.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="cbs"/>

A co-conspirator, Gary Cox, was convicted in an earlier proceeding. Cox was sentenced to 15 years in prison.<ref name="cbs"/><ref name="medecon"/>

== Trial and Conviction ==

Blackman was tried in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The jury returned its verdict on May 14, 2026. It convicted him on all three conspiracy counts.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="cbs"/>

The counts were conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters.<ref name="doj"/>

Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Justice Department Criminal Division's Fraud Section prosecuted the case.<ref name="doj"/> The investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="tampafp"/>

After the verdict, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the conduct as "cold, calculated, industrial-scale theft targeting the sick and elderly."<ref name="cbs"/>

== Awaiting Sentencing ==

Blackman has been convicted. He has not been sentenced. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 26, 2026, before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="cbs"/>

The statutory maximums set the outer bound of what the court may impose. The conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Each of the remaining two counts carries a maximum of five years.<ref name="doj"/><ref name="cbs"/> A federal district judge determines the actual sentence. The judge weighs the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the facts of the case, and the factors set out in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). The statutory maximum is a ceiling, not the expected term.<ref name="doj"/>

As of June 2026, Blackman has not been designated to a Bureau of Prisons facility. Defendants in federal cases are generally not designated until after sentencing.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==
{{FAQSection/Start}}
{{FAQ|question=Who is Brett Blackman?|answer=Brett Blackman is the founder and former chief executive officer of HealthSplash, a health care software company. On May 14, 2026, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted him of three conspiracy counts in a Medicare fraud scheme that billed federal health care programs more than $1 billion. He is awaiting sentencing.}}
{{FAQ|question=What was Brett Blackman convicted of?|answer=A federal jury convicted Blackman of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters. The verdict was returned on May 14, 2026.}}
{{FAQ|question=Has Brett Blackman been sentenced?|answer=No. Blackman was convicted on May 14, 2026, but has not been sentenced. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 26, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.}}
{{FAQ|question=How much prison time does Brett Blackman face?|answer=He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count, plus a maximum of five years on each of the two remaining counts. The actual sentence will be determined by the court at the August 26, 2026 hearing and may be less than the maximum.}}
{{FAQ|question=What was the HealthSplash and DMERx scheme?|answer=HealthSplash acquired an internet platform called DMERx (Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC) in September 2017. Prosecutors said the platform generated false doctors' orders and prescriptions for durable medical equipment, including unnecessary orthotic braces. Telemedicine companies were paid kickbacks to sign orders for patients they never examined. The equipment was billed to Medicare.}}
{{FAQ|question=How much money was involved?|answer=Federal health care programs were billed more than $1 billion under the scheme. They paid out more than $450 million on those claims.}}
{{FAQ|question=Who were Brett Blackman's co-conspirators?|answer=A co-conspirator named Gary Cox was convicted in an earlier proceeding and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Justice Department said Blackman worked with other co-conspirators, including telemedicine companies, marketers, pharmacies, and durable medical equipment suppliers.}}
{{FAQ|question=Which court handled the Brett Blackman case?|answer=The case was tried in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The case was prosecuted by the Justice Department Criminal Division's Fraud Section and investigated by HHS-OIG, the FBI, the VA Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.}}
{{FAQ|question=Where is Brett Blackman from?|answer=Blackman is from Johnson County, Kansas. He was 42 years old at the time of his conviction. The fraud conduct spanned South Florida, Kansas, and Arizona between at least 2015 and 2020.}}
{{FAQSection/End}}

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]
[[Category:Health Care Fraud]]
[[Category:White_Collar_Crime]]
[[Category:Awaiting Sentencing]]

{{#seo:
|title=Brett Blackman — HealthSplash CEO Convicted in $1 Billion Medicare Fraud | Prisonpedia
|title_mode=replace
|description=Brett Blackman, founder and CEO of HealthSplash, was convicted May 14, 2026 of a $1 billion Medicare fraud conspiracy involving the DMERx platform. Sentencing set for August 26, 2026.
|keywords=Brett Blackman, HealthSplash, DMERx, Medicare fraud, orthotic braces, telemedicine fraud, health care fraud conspiracy, Southern District of Florida, Gary Cox, durable medical equipment fraud
|type=ProfilePage
|site_name=Prisonpedia
|locale=en_US
|published_time=2026-06-03
|modified_time=2026-06-03
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{{MetaDescription|Brett Blackman, founder and CEO of HealthSplash, was convicted in May 2026 of a $1 billion Medicare fraud conspiracy built on the DMERx platform and unnecessary orthotic braces. He awaits sentencing on August 26, 2026.}}

Brett Blackman - Revision history

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