Los Angeles doctor Munir Uwaydah is facing 57 counts after a five year investigation revealed widespread and systematic fraud surrounding workers compensation patients and a far reaching insurance scheme.
Biggest Scam in California History
Uwaydah is awaiting extradition to the U.S. from Germany, where he will stand trial with 14 of his associates. Prosecutors have deemed the alleged $150 million dollar scheme by Frontline Medical Associates the largest in California history. Those charged are facing counts of insurance fraud, aggravated mayhem, conspiracy, and capping (illegal client referrals).
Unlicensed Surgery
The group operated their own MRI business out of a trailer using the results of those MRIs to justify surgeries in certain cases were not necessary. Many of those surgeries were performed by a physician’s assistant who had never attended medical school, while patients were told that Uwaydah was going to be performing them. Some of the patients will require corrective surgery to reverse damage done.
Far Reaching Fraud
Another doctor is charged with billing patients for office visits he was not present for. Frontline Medical Associates is also charged with overprescribing and overbilling for the pharmaceuticals they sold. Their scam is alleged to have been perpetrated through the use of marketers and workers compensation attorneys.
Cases of insurance fraud are far reaching and exceptionally complex. If you find yourself entangled in one of these frequent and far reaching schemes, you will need the services of a reputable and knowledgeable criminal defense attorney.
L.A. doctor allegedly let untrained assistant perform (and botch) surgeries as part of massive insurance scam, www.washingtonpost.com, Fred Barbash 16 September 2015
15 Indicted in $150 Million Insurance Fraud, Patient Scam Conspiracy, http://da.lacounty.gov, Jane Robison 15 Sep 2015