Dr. Patel was found guilty of performing medically unnecessary procedures and billing Medicare and private payors for more than $3 million for these procedures. He reportedly received $541,745 from the scheme.
Testimony at trial revealed that Dr. Patel falsified patient symptoms in medical records and findings on medical tests and performed unnecessary coronary procedures such as deploying angioplasty balloons and stents.
Dr. Patel performed these procedures at both Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette and Lafayette General Medical Center, as well as a leased mobile catheterization lab located outside his practice, Acadiana Cardiology, before he opened his own catheterization lab in mid-2002 in his office.
Read the DOJ release on the Louisiana cardiologist fraud.
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