Farid Fata, MD, a Detroit-area hematologist-oncologist, was sentenced in July to 45 years in prison for administering unnecessary chemotherapy to healthy patients to enable him to fraudulently bill Medicare and private payers for the treatment. However, new allegations have come to light that show the case is far from over, according to the Detroit Free Press.
In September 2014, Dr. Fata admitted he prescribed and administered unnecessary aggressive chemotherapy, cancer treatments, intravenous iron and other infusion therapies to patients in order to increase his billings to Medicare and private payers. He also admitted to soliciting kickbacks from home healthcare companies in exchange for his referral of patients to those facilities.
Dr. Fata pleaded guilty to 13 counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay or receive kickbacks and two counts of money laundering. Through the scheme, Dr. Fata submitted approximately $225 million in claims to Medicare from August 2007 to July 2013.
Although the case against Dr. Fata is over, David Haron — a lawyer who represents the whistle-blower in the case against Dr. Fata — told the Detroit Free Press that an amended complaint with allegations against new, unnamed defendants was filed in December.
No details regarding the new allegations will be released for several months, while the U.S. Attorney's Office investigates the claims. Lawyers in the case will have a six-month period to investigate the new allegations, according to the report.
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