An imprisoned Ohio cardiologist has been ordered to pay nearly $5.5 million in restitution to patients on whom he performed unnecessary heart procedures to receive insurance payouts, Cleveland.com reports.
U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent ordered Harry Persaud, MD, Friday to pay his victims before any insurance companies or the United States are reimbursed, according to the report. Under the order, Dr. Persaud must also liquidate a timeshare in Hawaii and trust he established in 2012 in the name of his wife.
Dr. Persaud is currently serving a 20-year sentence for healthcare fraud, making false statements and money laundering. He is appealing the case.
Prosecutors said Dr. Persaud performed dozens of unnecessary stent insertions, catheterizations and tests as part of a scheme to overbill Medicare and other insurers for $29 million, according to the report. He was paid about $5.7 million.
According to the report, the scheme took place while the cardiologist had a private medical practice in Westlake, Ohio, with hospital privileges at St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Fairview Hospital in Cleveland and Southwest General Health Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio.