A group of Los Angeles-area doctors, healthcare administrators and associates have been indicted on charges that they manipulated elderly and mentally ill patients into accepting more than $12 million of unnecessary respiratory treatments. The group allegedly used donuts, candy and soda to convince the patients to accept the treatments, which were billed to Medicare. According to the indictment, the six doctors involved paid kickbacks to administrators of board-and-care facilities, along with other associates, who then gave them access to these vulnerable patients. Once they had access to the patients, the doctors would then order respiratory treatments whether they were indicated for the patient's condition.
For more information on the indictment:
- read this piece in the Los Angeles Times