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April 10, 2008
Suspended doctor accused of almost $3M in fraud
A federal complaint lodged against a Rhode Island doctor accuses him of fraudulently billing Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers almost $3 million.
The physician, Tarek Wehbe, had his medical license suspended by the state health department director on Monday after investigation discovered several dozen of Wehbe's cancer patients may have gotten inadequate chemotherapy doses between 2004 and 2006.
Today, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office announced a forfeiture complaint against assets "traced to Wehbe," a news release says.
The federal complaint alleges that Wehbe billed for "services not performed, inflated the type of treatment given, and billed for 'impossible days,' consisting of more than 24 hours worth of visits," the U.S. Attorney's office said.
A federal affidavit with the complaint says that Wehbe owns and operates the Renaissance Medical Group, which has offices in North Providence and Providence.
The complaint seeks to have forfeited an account at Citizens Bank as well as real estate in North Providence, Lincoln, Jamestown, and Smithfield, "all wholly or partially owned" by Wehbe, either "directly or through corporate entities." The federal government argues the properties represent proceeds from health-care fraud.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the state Attorney General’s Medicare fraud unit, and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigation, were involved in the investigation. The complaint was filed Tuesday.
Posted by Mike McKinney
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I wonder if this is the type of complaint our fine legislature is considering erasing from the books.
As to the inadequate cancer treatment, life in prison sounds about right.