An orthopedic surgeon is devoted to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Many orthopedists specialize in certain areas of the body including the hips and knees, feet and ankles, shoulders and elbows, hands and the spine.
Orthopedic surgeons are known to treat people of all ages. Often, they offer care to those who have endured sports-related injuries or have undergone joint replacement surgeries. Fractures and spinal deformities are also among the conditions they treat. Nonsurgical solutions such as pain medication or rehabilitation are often sought before surgery is made an option.
Massachusetts orthopedic surgeon sentenced to 16 months in prison.
60 year-old Olarewaju James Oladipo is an orthopedic surgeon based in Canton, Massachusetts. As reported by the District of Massachusetts branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office yesterday, Oladipo will be spending the next 16 months in prison. As the report informs, the doctor was convicted by a federal jury of 10 counts of health care fraud, this past December.
“From approximately January 2016 through December 2019, Oladipo devised and executed a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by falsely billing for patient visits,” details the report, “Specifically, Oladipo used billing codes for more complex - and thus more expensive - services that were not provided. Oladipo falsified medical records of patient visits to reflect examinations and services that were not performed.”
Oladipo’s claims were both frequent and excessive.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reports that the surgeon frequently billed for more than 60 patients per day, over the course of the four-year period. In fact, at times, he went so far as to bill for more than 100 patients in a day. For this to happen, Oladipo’s patient visits would have had to last for no more than five minutes each. Meanwhile, he used billing codes that typically corresponded to visits of 15, 25, 30 or even 45 minutes.
Oladipo made himself one of the top prescribers of opioids in Massachusetts. The report notes that he ensured a high flow of patients to his practice by prescribing powerful, highly addictive opioids. Trial evidence showed that Oladipo knowingly prescribed oxycodone to patients suffering from opioid addiction.
Oladipo has only worsened the nation’s opioid crisis.
This is certainly not the first time the Allegiant Experts Blog has addressed the horrifying opioid crisis in America. It will not be the last. As the National Safety Council reports, 78% of preventable drug overdose deaths involve opioids.
“Opioid drugs include both prescription and illicit drug categories,” their website explains, “The drug category most frequently involved in preventable opioid overdoses and growing at the fastest pace is “synthetic opioids other than methadone.” This category includes fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol. The fentanyl category of opioids accounted for 71,269 preventable deaths in 2022, representing a 6% increase over the 67,325 total in 2021.”
Are you an attorney who is currently working a healthcare fraud case?
The clinical experts at Allegiant Experts can help you! We coordinate and support courageous whistleblowers that shine lights on fraud, waste and abuse. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 407-217-5831. You may also email us at info@allegiantexperts.com.
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