{"id":18538,"date":"2015-12-21T11:24:15","date_gmt":"2015-12-21T19:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=18538"},"modified":"2015-12-21T11:24:15","modified_gmt":"2015-12-21T19:24:15","slug":"18538-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=18538","title":{"rendered":"Cardiologist Sentenced to 20 Years for Overbilling Medicare for Unnecessary Procedures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ohio<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"Department<\/a>A federal judge sentenced a cardiologist to 20 Years in prison for overbilling Medicare and other insurers of millions of dollars for unnecessary medical procedures, officials said today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Harold Persaud<\/strong> performed unnecessary catheterizations, tests, stent insertions and causing unnecessary coronary artery bypass surgeries as part of a scheme to over bill Medicare and other insurers by $29 million, law enforcement officials announced Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

A federal jury convicted\u00a0Persaud<\/strong>, 56, earlier this year of one count of health care fraud, 13 counts of making false statements and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from criminal activity, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis defendant used his medical license as a license to steal,\u201d said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon.<\/strong> \u00a0\u201cHe inflated Medicare billings, falsified cardiac care records and performing needless and sometimes invasive tests and procedures.This prison sentence is well deserved.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Persaud had a private medical practice at Westlake and had hospital privileges at Fairview Hospital, St. John\u2019s Medical Center and Southwest General Hospital, according to court documents and trial testimony.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result of this scheme, Persaud overbilled Medicare and private insurers in the amount of about $29 million, of which Medicare and the private insurers paid about $5.7 million, according to court records.<\/span><\/p>\n

A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 27 to determine restitution, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Persaud violated the sacred trust between doctor and patient by ordering unnecessary tests, procedures and surgeries to line his pockets,\u201d said Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI\u2019s Cleveland Office.<\/strong> \u00a0\u201cHe ripped off taxpayers and put patients\u2019 lives at risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Persaud’s systematic use of medically unnecessary tests and procedures, falsification of patient records and submission of false billings to health care insurers added up to a toxic mixture of fraud at the expense of patient safety and well-being and taxpayer dollars,\u201d said Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region<\/strong>.\u00a0 \u201cThe OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify, investigate and seek the criminal prosecution of those who choose to exploit federally funded health care programs and the patients these programs serve.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Persaud schemed to defraud and get payments from Medicare and other insurers, according to officials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The scheme took place between 2006 and 2012. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to court documents and trial testimony, his activities in furtherance of the scheme included:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n