Medicare Fraud Charges Filed Against Florida Doctor Linked To Indicted Senator
Ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen faces 76 counts of health-care fraud and related offenses, the Miami U.S. attorney announced. Campaign contributions and gifts from the Florida doctor are at the center of the federal corruption case against Sen. Robert Menendez.
Los Angeles Times:
Florida Doctor In Sen. Menendez Bribery Case Charged With Medicare Fraud
A Forida doctor accused of bribing U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez has been indicted on suspicion of carrying out extensive Medicare fraud at his eye-care practice for a decade and for treating patients for disorders they didn't have, officials said Tuesday. (Pearce, 4/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
Florida Doctor Linked To Sen. Robert Menendez Indicted For Medicare Fraud
A Florida eye doctor facing corruption charges with New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez was indicted Tuesday for health-care fraud, with prosecutors alleging he cheated the federal Medicare program while receiving payments of $105 million over six years. The payments to Salomon E. Melgen continued for much of that time despite scrutiny by federal officials, highlighting vulnerabilities in the federal program for the elderly and disabled. (Weaver and Stewart, 4/14)
Bloomberg:
Florida Doctor Tied To Menendez Indicted For Medicare Fraud
Salomon Melgen, the Florida eye doctor whose gifts and campaign contributions led to the indictment of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, was charged with 76 counts of health-care fraud and related offenses. Melgen submitted false claims, created fraudulent entries on patient medical charts and falsely diagnosed patients to bill for unnecessary tests and procedures, Miami U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said Tuesday in a statement. (Nesmith and Zajac, 4/14)
Reuters:
Florida Doctor Indicted On Medicare Fraud
Florida doctor Salomon Melgen, who has been charged with corruption along with New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, was indicted on Tuesday on Medicare fraud charges, the U.S. Attorney's office in Miami said. Melgen, 61, an ophthalmologist in North Palm Beach, was charged with 46 counts of healthcare fraud, as well as 19 counts of fraudulent claims, and 11 counts of making false statements relating to health care, prosecutors said in a statement. (Adams, 4/14)
Politico:
Menendez Donor Indicted On 76 Counts
But now, Melgen is facing more legal troubles. Federal prosecutors in Florida say Melgen, 61, would falsely diagnose patients at his southern Florida practice for eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, submit false Medicare claims and create fake entries on his patients’ medical charts. Melgen would then use the false diagnoses to perform “medically unreasonable and unnecessary tests and procedures” such as laser surgery and eye injections, prosecutors said. (Kim, 4/14)