California Prosecutes 3 Doctors for Paying Patients to Submit to Unnecessary Surgery
The California Department of Insurance and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office have arrested three doctors in what they are describing as the largest medical fraud prosecution in the nation. Some stories are so abhorrent they taint entire professions. In Orange County, three physicians and a group of ambulatory surgery center developers, some of whom have already pled guilty and been sentenced to prison, arranged with patient recruiters, known as “cappers,” to recruit patients on whom unnecessary surgery would be performed in exchange for cash or cosmetic surgery. The District Attorney’s Office alleges the performance of more than 1,000 bogus procedures. Following is the link to the May 16, 2007 press release by the Office of the District Attorney of Orange County explaining the case in greater detail:
http://www.orangecountyda.com/home/index.asp?page=8&recordid=583&returnurl=index%2Easp%3Fpage%3D8
