A 73-year-old gastroenterologist was sentenced to three years of probation, 1,000 hours of community service and a $2.9 million restitution payment for his involvement in a decadeslong insurance fraud scheme, according to a Jan. 29 report from mynewsla.com.
Mario Rosenberg, MD, faced two counts of filing false claims to 16 insurance companies, the report said. One piece of evidence showed he billed for 35 hours of medical procedures in a 24-hour period. He entered a no-contest plea Jan. 24, 2014. Although he didn't plead guilty, he said he should have known better.
Dr. Rosenberg is the last of 19 physicians indicted in the fraud scheme, the report said. Twenty-two million dollars was lost under his fraudulent billing, and the total loss of the more than 20-year operation was $154 million.
Fourth District Appellate Court Justice Thomas Goethals said in court that punishment was necessary, as Dr. Rosenberg became "motivated by greed" to earn more money. He wanted Dr. Rosenberg to keep his medical license so he could do community service at a clinic, but he could still face prison time if he violates the terms of his probation, including failing to pay restitution.