A Michigan oncologist may be imprisoned for 20 years and lose his medical license once convicted for the alleged Medicare false claims amounting to $35 million. He was reportedly able to acquire this huge amount in two years by subjecting his patients to unnecessary chemotherapy.
Dr. Farid Fata, an Oakland County oncologist and owner of the Michigan Hemotology and Oncology Centers (MHO), was arrested Aug. 11. According to a news release by the U.S Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan, the doctor was charged with a criminal case for defrauding Medicare. The doctor had reportedly required his patients to undergo chemotherapy treatments even if they didn’t need it.
The validity of the charges was also confirmed by the FBI special agent Robert D. Foley III who has been handling the investigation.
United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade stated in the news release, “Our first priority is patient care. The agents and attorneys acted with great attention to detail to stop these allegedly dangerous practices as quickly as possible, and we have set up a victim hotline so that patients can access their files and get questions answered.”
The FBI takes this case critically citing that the doctor had violated the patient’s trust and placed their health and lives at risk for mistreating them. The doctor was also accused of betraying the government health care system and compromising the tax payers’ money.
"The conduct alleged in this complaint is serious, not only in terms of potential Medicare dollars improperly obtained, but patient safety as well. The OIG will aggressively investigate allegations of this nature in order to ensure the safety of Medicare patients and to protect vital taxpayer dollars," said special agent Lamont Pugh in the news release.
According to the complaint, Fata used MHO in his fraudulent medical transactions. Some of the treatments involved were chemotherapy, Positron Emission Tomograph (PET) scans, and other medical treatments needed by cancer patients. MHO submitted a $35 million bill to Medicare with $25 million of it owed to Fata.
One incident mentioned in the complaint was a patient who fell down and hit his head. Dr. Fata insisted that he undergo chemotherapy immediately instead of proceeding to the emergency room. The patient died of head injury. Another patient rushed to HMO due to extremely low sodium levels but was also asked to undergo chemotherapy first before admission.
Meanwhile, the doctor had surrendered his U.S and Lebanese passports as the court proceedings continue on Tuesday.
