2 doctors, 1 lawyer, 12 others charged in $150M health-care fraud conspiracy case
An orthopedic surgeon, his lawyer, another doctor and 12 other defendants have been charged in a claimed California health-care fraud conspiracy said to have bilked insurance companies out of $150 million.
In indictments unsealed Tuesday in two linked Los Angeles cases, Dr. Munir Uwaydah and attorney Tatiana Torres Arnold face at least one aggravated mayhem charge and are accused of making illegal patient referrals, among other alleged wrongdoing.
Prosecutors said the conspiracy involved illegal patient referral fees of up to $10,000 per month made to attorneys and others for sending individuals to Uwaydah for treatment. Alleged inadequate or nonexistent medical exams and botched and/or unnecessary surgeries performed by an unqualified assistant to Uwaydah are also at issue in the cases, which were pursued after a five-year investigation and describe one of the largest health-care schemes in state history, according to the Los Angeles Times (sub. req.) and the Orange County Register.
“Although the patient victims sustained physical harm, we who pay higher premiums for health care suffer economic harm when scams are allowed to continue unchecked,” said District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a written statement announcing the indictments.
See also:
Michael H. Cohen Law Group: “Fee-splitting 101 for medical doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and others”
