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April 9, 2014- The release of data by Medicare that shows what individual doctors earned from Medicare is making all sorts of news. One of the biggest over-billing crooks is a Miami eye doctor who is no stranger to investigations.
Dr. Salomon E. Melgen billed Medicare $21 Million in 2012 alone, according to the data. the NYT reports, “Data released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that Dr. Salomon E. Melgen, 59, who moved to Florida from the Dominican Republic in the late 1970s, received $21 million in Medicare reimbursements in 2012 alone. The doctor billed mostly for Lucentis, a medication used to treat macular degeneration made by a company that pays generous rebates to its doctors.
The millionaire surgeon, who lives in a 5,000-square-foot home in North Palm Beach and travels by private jet, is better known as the generous campaign contributor whose close relationship with Mr. Menendez, a Democrat, has been scrutinized by federal prosecutors.
He is a central figure in two different federal investigations. In January and October last year, F.B.I. agents were spotted carrying boxes out of his offices.
Dr. Melgen’s lawyer warned against presuming that the doctor’s high bills to Medicare meant he was engaged in fraud. In a statement released late Tuesday, his lawyer said the large reimbursements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS, were easily explained: The doctor has a big practice.”