Yuma Doctor Sentenced to 7 Years for Medicaid Fraud, Ordered to Pay $36M
Yuma physician Irfan Fazil was sentenced October 2 to more than seven years in prison for defrauding Arizona's Medicaid program (AHCCCS) and ordered to pay $36 million in restitution, azcentral reported.
Prosecutors said Fazil systematically billed for services never rendered and falsified records over an extended period. The court found the scheme's scale warranted a stiff sentence.
The Arizona attorney general's office called it among the state's largest Medicaid fraud cases in recent years. Medicaid fraud not only drains public funds but can also deprive genuinely needy patients of care, officials said.
Recovered funds return to the Medicaid trust. The state vowed continued crackdowns on healthcare fraud; providers who spot fraud by colleagues may report it to the state, with rewards for substantiated tips.
Beyond prison time and restitution, Fazil was permanently barred from federal health care programs; prosecutors said the scheme involved false billing and kickbacks.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：亚利桑那州尤马县法院（尤马医生欺诈案宣判地地标）。摄影：Ken Lund，CC BY-SA 2.0，取自 Wikimedia Commons
