Donald Salzberg, MD, an ophthalmologist of Avon, Conn., was sentenced to prison for receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering unnecessary brain scans.
From 2014 to 2019, Dr. Salzberg conspired with a principal of a medical diagnostics company, using false patient diagnoses to order medically unnecessary brain scans, according to a May 10 news release from the Justice Department.
Dr. Salzberg was paid cash kickbacks of $100 to $125 for each test he ordered. The scheme resulted in bills of more than $3 million to Medicare and private insurance companies.
Dr. Salzberg owned and operated an ophthalmology practice in West Hartford, Conn. and was a licensed medical doctor in Connecticut for nearly 40 years.
In addition, Dr. Salzberg was ordered to pay $1.34 million in restitution to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers, the release said.