Florida Psychologist is Accused of Having Sex with Client Then Billing Her Insurance Company for the Sessions
According to allegations, a Tampa psychologist billed a patient’s insurance company for her treatment, when it is believed that he was actually having sex with her. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an investigation by the Florida Health Department also found that he repeatedly received prescription painkillers from the patient. Not surprisingly, the state department suspended his license.
In 1995, the female patient, who wasn’t named in the state’s report, saw Daniel R. Lerom for marriage counseling. After the couple divorced, the woman continued to visit Lerom sporadically for counseling, but in August 2008, their sessions became more frequent.
Based on Florida’s investigation reports, Lerom stopped giving therapy to the woman in early February 2009 and they started a sexual relationship not long after. Their relationship continued until May, when the psychologist’s wife found a text message between the two.
Lerom had charged the woman’s insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, over $1,400 for “specialty consults,” when in reality, the two were meeting for sex. He ended up maxing out her annual allowable number of psychotherapy visits. After their relationship came to an end, Lerom told the woman that he refunded the money, but the state’s investigation showed that only $117.40 of the $1,400 had been paid back.
When issuing the suspension of Lerom’s license, Dr. Ana M. Viamonte Ros, Florida’s surgeon general, stated, “Dr. Lerom’s willingness to engage in sexual misconduct with a patient and to exploit her for the insurance proceeds as well as for her prescription medication demonstrate a serious defect in Dr. Lerom’s judgment and moral character.”