Ohio cardiologist charged with causing unnecessary heart surgeries as part of fraud scheme

A 16-count indictment was unsealed in federal court charging Harold Persaud, MD, with performing unnecessary catheterizations, tests and stent insertions, and causing unnecessary coronary artery bypass surgeries as part of a scheme to overbill Medicare and private insurers by $7.2 million, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

To justify the unnecessary tests and procedures he performed on patients, Dr. Persaud allegedly falsified patient records. He also allegedly referred patients improperly for coronary artery bypass surgery when there was no medical necessity for such surgery, which benefitted Dr. Persaud by increasing the amount of follow-up testing he could perform and bill to Medicare and private insurers, according to the report.FBI logo

Dr. Persaud allegedly overbilled Medicare and private insurers for approximately $7.2 million for unnecessary tests and procedures he performed.

Dr. Persaud has a private medical practice in Westlake, Ohio. He was indicted on one count of healthcare fraud, 14 counts of making false statements and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from criminal activity.

More articles on healthcare fraud: 

Identifying fraud in a mountain of Medicare data is an endless pursuit for agents 
4 recent healthcare fraud cases 
Physician assistant convicted in $200M Medicare fraud scheme 

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