A previously convicted Northridge doctor will pay more than $9.48 million to settle allegations that he submitted false claims to the Medicare and Medi-Cal programs, state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Friday,
Dr. Minas Kochumian allegedly billed the health insurance programs for drugs, procedures, services and tests that were never administered to patients, Bonta said.
Of the $9.48 million, the state of California will receive $630,099, the AG said.
“When doctors misuse the state’s Medi-Cal funds, they violate their Hippocratic Oath by harming a program which exists to help California’s Medi-Cal population, including the elderly, the sick, and the vulnerable,” Bonta said in a statement.
“Dr. Kochumian’s alleged misconduct violated the trust of the patients in his care, and he selfishly pocketed funds that would otherwise have gone towards critical publicly funded healthcare services,” he said, adding that the settlement sends a message that “deceitful actions that jeopardize state funds and prey on Medi-Cal recipients will not be tolerated.”
Source: Bonta: Northridge Doctor to Pay Over $9.48M to Settle Fraud Allegations / mynewsLA.com