2 surgeons indicted in $950M kickback scheme in California

A federal grand jury indicted two surgeons July 17 for their alleged roles in a kickback scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $950 million in fraudulent claims, mostly to California's worker compensation system, according to the Department of Justice.

The surgeons, Jacob Tauber, MD, and Serge Obukhoff, MD, were indicted in relation to the government's investigation into kickbacks physicians received for patient referrals for spinal surgeries performed at Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, Calif. They are among dozens of physicians and other medical professionals allegedly involved in the scheme.

In June, nine other defendants were charged for their alleged involvement in the kickback scheme, which the government has dubbed Operation Spinal Cap. Michael Drobot, former owner and CEO of Pacific Hospital, ran the 15-year-long kickback scheme. He was sentenced to more than five years in prison in January.

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