Cancer Treatments and Medical Malpractice

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Shapiro Law Group

Cancer can be a debilitating and stressful battle, with lifelong implications as far as overall health is concerned. It would stand to reason then, that most physicians would be very cautious of being negligent and otherwise committing medical malpractice. Unfortunately, for some, as “Lawyers.com” reported, the allure of easy money can be overpowering.

Two doctors in Elizabethtown, Kentucky are under investigation by the Kentucky Medical Licensure Board after having been accused of prolonging chemotherapy treatments for their patients.

Drs. Yusuf Deshmukh and Rafiq Ur Rahman were able to collect more money from Medicaid and Medicare by extending the treatment time for chemotherapy patients. Further, the doctors and their Elizabethtown Hematology-Oncology Clinic signed an agreement to pay almost $4 million out to settle claims with the U.S. and Kentucky, in relation to overbilling patients’ health insurance.

Federal records show that the two doctors billed over 5,000 times for providing additional hours of chemotherapy to over a hundred patients. According to the original lawsuit, “The clinic’s written guidelines called for patients to be treated three to four times longer than recommended; in practice, patients were treated six to eight times longer.”

U.S. Attorney David Hale stated, “Manipulating treatment protocols and lengthening infusion times to increase reimburse reflect an extraordinary lack of regard for patient welfare and the integrity of our health care system.”

Such words could not be truer, and yet it is a sad reality that we face in the world of medicine and healthcare. It is always best to ask questions and double check if you feel that something is not right with your treatment or diagnoses. You have the right to know what is going on with your medical treatment.

Let Us Help You Take Action

Cancer and the subsequent treatments can be a difficult thing to deal with, and the same can be said of many other medical procedures. Healthcare employees do not have a right to subject you to anything that you would not reasonably expect. If you have had an experience or just have a question, give us a call so that our experienced medical malpractice attorneys can inform you of your rights.

Did you know: The average physician spends 50.7 months, or roughly 11 percent, of a 40-year career with an unresolved and open malpractice claim.

Shapiro Law Group – Medical Malpractice Attorneys Serving the Tampa Bay Area

Source: http://medical-malpractice.lawyers.com/blogs/archives/30811-elizabethtown-doctors-under-investigation-for-chemotherapy-treatments.html

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