Bucks chiropractor acquitted in insurance case

A Bucks County chiropractor was found not guilty Friday on charges that he submitted more than $116,000 in fraudulent claims to two insurers.

Howard Aaron Bloom, owner and operator of Weathervane Chiropractic, a rehab facility with locations in Ivyland and Southampton, had been charged by state Attorney General Linda Kelly with theft by deception and related offenses for submitting claims under a billing code interpreted by Kelly as requiring one-on-one contact with patients. The services actually were delivered by massage therapists working for Bloom.

In addition, the attorney general charged Bloom with adding a person to Weathervane's group-coverage insurance plan, even though the person was not an employee of the practice.

At a nonjury trial before Bucks County Court Judge Albert Cepparulo, a defense expert said the attorney general misinterpreted the billing-code guidelines. Regarding the nonemployee added to the group-coverage, Bloom's lead attorney, Andrew Baratta, argued, "There is no evidence as to . . . whether and/or when Dr. Bloom even became aware of it." - Michael Matza