Anchorage, Alaska – A shocking case of deception has come to light as Dr. Claribel Tan, 61, and her husband Daniel Tan, 70, pleaded guilty to orchestrating an Anchorage Medical Fraud Scheme involving a $12.5 million health care fraud scheme while evading more than $4 million in taxes.

Anchorage Medical Fraud Scheme

Operating a rheumatology clinic in Anchorage, Dr. Tan specialized in treating autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases. Instead of providing proper care, she routinely underdosed patients, injected expired drugs, substituted free samples, or used medications purchased by other patients. This Anchorage Medical Fraud Scheme allowed the couple to bill insurance companies as if full, legitimate treatments had been administered.

Court records reveal the Tans claimed to have administered 4,829 units of medication, while in reality purchasing only 369 units. Fraudulent insurance claims, falsified office visit records, and billing for services never rendered were all part of their decades‑long scheme.

Beyond health care fraud, the couple manipulated tax filings, overstating expenses and failing to file returns between 2018 and 2021 as part of their Medical Fraud . This resulted in an additional $4.2 million loss to the IRS.

Authorities seized over $10.4 million in fraud proceeds, and under their plea agreements, the Tans agreed to forfeit those funds, pay $6.3 million in restitution, and settle civil claims under the False Claims Act for $1.8 million. As a result of the Anchorage Medical Fraud Scheme, Dr. Tan has surrendered her medical license.

Both face sentencing with potential penalties of 10 years in prison for health care fraud and five years for tax fraud. A federal judge will determine their sentences after reviewing U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

This case underscores the devastating impact of medical fraud—not only financial losses but also the serious risks posed to patient health and trust in the medical system.