Florida eye doctor behind bars ordered to pay millions more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A federal judge is ordering a prominent Florida eye doctor behind bars to pay millions more in restitution.

The Palm Beach Post reported that this week U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra upped the restitution owed by Dr. Salomon Melgen by more than $10 million to a total of $52.9 million.

Melgen was sentenced in February to 17 years for stealing $73 million from Medicare by persuading elderly patients to undergo excruciating tests and treatments they didn’t need for diseases they didn’t have.

The Post reported that after Melgen was sentenced, federal prosecutors identified additional insurers and former patients who paid Melgen for eye treatments that were unnecessary.

Defence attorneys for Melgen didn’t object because they are appealing Melgen’s conviction on 67 charges of health-care fraud and his sentence.