Huntsville, Ala.-based physician Shelinder Aggarwal, MD, allegedly the most prolific Medicare prescriber of opioids in the U.S. pled guilty to healthcare fraud and a related drug charge, the News Observer reports.
Here's what you should know.
1. Dr. Aggarwal pled guilty to a count of distributing a controlled substance outside the scope of a professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose and a count of conspiring to execute a healthcare fraud scheme.
2. The federal government pursued the fraud charge when it was discovered Dr. Aggarwal issued $9.5 million in unneeded urine tests.
3. As part of his plea deal, Dr. Aggarwal will forfeit control of his clinic, Chronic Pain Care Services, also in Huntsville and pay $6.7 million dollars. He could face up to 15 years in jail. A judge will decide whether to accept the deal at a sentencing hearing.
4. Dr. Aggarwal has already repaid $2.8 million to Medicare and $45,843 to Blue Cross Blue Shield.
5. Dr. Aggarwal surrendered his state medical license and his certificates to prescribe controlled substances.
6. The U.S. Attorney's office said Dr. Aggarwal prescribed the most opioids in the entire nation at the height of his practice. The U.S. Attorney said Dr. Aggarwal did not obtain prior medical record for his patients nor did he treat patients with anything other than controlled substances.
7. In 2010, 110,013 pharmacies filled prescriptions from Dr. Aggarwal. According to the News Observer, that's equal to 423 prescriptions a day over five days and 12.3 million pills.