An oncologist from Michigan was given a 45 year prison sentence for pulling in over 17 million in fraudulent billings for patients he mistreated and misdiagnosed.
The court found Farid Fata had prescribed unnecessary injections and given potent chemotherapy infusions to over 550 patients within a six-year period. Many of the patients didn’t even have cancer.
Many were grievously injured and had their immune systems permanently damaged. One man lost both of legs, and died soon after.
Fata kept some patients drugged up for years at a time, bankrupting families having to pay for the medical bills. He insisted that if they stopped treatment, they would die. He would also stop receiving their insurance payments.
With all this said, most of Fata’s patients still trusted him. He was one of the most prestigious oncologists in Michigan. He received a lot of referrals from other doctors as well.
He was so powerful and admired, few dared to question his practices.
And so he continued for years.
Fata’s story began to unravel when one patient broke her leg. It was determined this patient didn’t have cancer upon closer examination of her records and she was advised to get a second opinion.
Fata’s story is one in a million. One attorney called his crimes “the most egregious case of medical fraud in the history of the United States.”
This story stresses the importance of getting a second opinion.
When facing important medical decisions, being well informed is vital as it can potentially have a huge impact on a patients life. The Patient Advocate Foundation says many physicians would recommend getting one and patients shouldn’t feel they are being unfaithful to their doctor.
Ethical doctors understand that patients have a right to be well informed about their conditions in order to make decisions about their care. Doctors who don’t welcome second opinions — such as Fata, who openly discouraged them — should be avoided.
“If your physician doesn’t support your getting a second opinion, see how fast you can run,” said Jonathan Schaffer, an orthopedic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, in U.S. News & World Report.
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