A physician in Chesapeake, Va., was sentenced to nearly six decades in prison May 18, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Javaid Perwaiz, MD, an OB-GYN, was convicted of performing medically unnecessary hysterectomies and other procedures from 2010 to 2019. He falsely diagnosed patients with cancer to persuade them they needed surgery, according to court documents. He also advised patients to have surgery to avoid cancer when they didn't need it.
Dr. Perwaiz's billing for the unnecessary procedures defrauded health insurance programs of more than $20.8 million, according to the Justice Department. He also billed for diagnostic procedures that were not performed in his office, according to the statement.
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