Chemotherapy for Profit

A cancer specialist ran a chain of clinics across the state. Prosecutors say he gave patients aggressive chemotherapy, other cancer drugs and intravenous iron they did not need, in order to increase his billings to the government health programme and private insurers. They say he also took kickbacks from hospice companies for sending them patients, and ordered unneeded scans at an imaging centre he owned. About 550 patients were affected and roughly $34 million in false claims were submitted. Health-care fraud requires proof that he knowingly billed for treatment that was not medically necessary.