administering medically unnecessary infusions or injections to 553 individual patients and submitting to Medicare and private insurance companies approximately $34 million in fraudulent claims. --Dept. of Justice
"administering medically unnecessary infusions"? Why that makes him normal, just like every other doctor. Slippery slope?
from the Dept. of Justice,
A Detroit area hematologist-oncologist was sentenced today to serve 45 years in prison for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that included administering medically unnecessary infusions or injections to 553 individual patients and submitting to Medicare and private insurance companies approximately $34 million in fraudulent claims.
Farid Fata, M.D., 50, of Oakland Township, Michigan, pleaded guilty in September 2014 to 13 counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay or receive kickbacks, and two counts of money laundering. U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman of the Eastern District of Michigan imposed the sentence and ordered Fata to forfeit $17.6 million.
“Rather than use his medical degree to save lives, Dr. Fata instead destroyed them in pursuit of profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “Time and again, Dr. Fata callously violated his patients' trust as he used false cancer diagnoses and unwarranted and dangerous treatments as tools to steal millions of dollars from Medicare, even stooping to profit from the last days of some patients' lives. While no sentence can restore what was taken from his patients and their families, the sentence imposed ensures that never again will Dr. Fata lay hands on another patient.”
“Health care fraud has been a serious problem in Michigan, but no case has been as egregious as the conduct of Dr. Farid Fata,” said U.S. Attorney McQuade. “Dr. Fata did not care for patients; he exploited them as commodities. He over-treated, under-treated, and outright lied to patients about whether they had cancer so that he could maximize his own profits.”
