California doctors arrested in $30 million surgery scam
Healthcare Auditing Weekly, May 22, 2007
Three doctors were charged with billing insurers for $30 million of unnecessary surgery performed on hundreds of patients recruited from around the country.
Authorities said the patients received money or low-cost cosmetic procedures for participating in the "rent-a-patient" scam at Unity Outpatient Surgery Center.
More than $5 million of the insurance claims were paid, authorities said.
Michael Chan, an obstetrician; William Hampton, a surgeon; and Mario Z. Rosenberg, a gastroenterologist, were all arrested last week.
Each was charged with 47 felony counts including conspiracy after billing 19 insurance companies for what authorities said were unnecessary colonoscopies and surgeries on 940 patients.
Each doctor could face nearly 50 years in prison. The California Medical Board was also pursuing suspension of their licenses.
Source: Associated Press
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