Federal prosecutors are seeking more than $17 million in restitution from seven doctors and administrators who received kickbacks for steering “lucrative patients” to a Dallas medical center.
Federal officials said in a statement that the seven played a role in a $200 million kickback scheme that was designed to encourage doctors to bring patients to Forest Park Medical Center, which has since closed.
The patients were coveted for having private insurance plans that paid generous reimbursements for expensive medical procedures.
In return, the seven were given money disguised as consulting fees or marketing funds that prosecutors say were used for personal luxury items.
The seven were convicted in April of a range of crimes that included paying kickbacks, conspiracy and commercial bribery.
A Dec. 1, 2016, indictment had accused 21 executives and physicians with the medical center of paying and taking bribes and kickbacks for patient referrals with high-reimbursement private medical insurance. Owners, managers and employees also are accused of trying to sell to other facilities for cash patients with lower-paying insurance, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
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