Cardiologist Samirkumar J. Shah, MD, became sentenced to 78 months in penal advanced after his conviction on two counts of federal healthcare fraud sharp extra than $13 million.
As a part of his sentence, Shah, 58, of Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, need to pay $1.7 million in restitution and totally different penalties and undergo 3 years of supervised free up after penal advanced.
“Dr Shah risked the successfully being of his sufferers so he might perhaps well perhaps bear millions of bucks thru pointless procedures, and lied and fabricated recordsdata for years to perpetuate his fraud design,” appearing US Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman mentioned in an August 5 declare from the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
As previously reported, Shah became convicted June 14, 2019 of submitting false claims to non-public and federal insurance protection capabilities between 2008 and 2013 for exterior counterpulsation (ECP) therapy, a lower limb compression therapy authorized for sufferers with coronary artery illness and refractory angina.
Shah, on the other hand, advertised ECP because the “Fountain of Formative years,” claimed it made sufferers “younger and smarter,” and offered the therapy for instances equivalent to obesity, hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, and erectile dysfunction.
Sufferers had been required to undergo diagnostic ultrasounds as a precautionary measure sooner than beginning ECP, but behold testimony established that Shah did now not evaluate any of the imaging earlier than approving recent sufferers for ECP, placing his sufferers at menace for severe wretchedness or even death, the DOJ said.
The proof also confirmed that Shah double-billed insurers, routinely submitted fabricated patient files, and made false statements touching on his prepare, patient inhabitants, recording conserving, and compliance with protection pointers, the authorities mentioned.
All the plot in which thru the design, Shah submitted ECP-linked claims for Medicare Fragment B, UPMC Health Conception, Highmark Blue Rotten Blue Defend, and Gateway Health Conception beneficiaries totalling extra than $13 million and got repayment payments in a long way extra than $3.5 million.
“In desire to upholding the oath he swore and offering treasure sufferers who depended on him, this defendant misled sufferers and drained serious Medicaid funds from households who wanted it,” mentioned Attorney Regular Josh Shapiro. “We can now not let someone attach their sufferers’ lives at menace for a profit.”
“Recently’s sentence holds Mr. Shah accountable for his appalling actions,” mentioned FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “Mr. Shah frail his station as a doctor to illegally profit from a healthcare program paid for by taxpayers. Fraud of this magnitude might perhaps well now not be tolerated.”
Shah has been in custody since July 15, 2021, after skipping out on his normal July 14 sentencing date. The Tribune-Overview reported that Shah filed a last-minute demand for a continuance, claiming he had an detrimental response to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination and became advised by his doctor that he wanted “strict bedrest for a minimal of six weeks.”
Shah reportedly turned himself after presiding US District Raise David S. Cercone denied the motion and issued an arrest warrant.
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