Ronald Grusd, MD, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Monday after he fraudulently billed California insurance companies more than $25 million while also paying kickbacks for patient referrals from clinics in San Diego, the Times of San Diego reported.
He was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine, and his companies—California Imaging Network and Willows Consulting Co.—were forced to pay a $500,000 fine and $15,600 in special assessments, the outlet reported.
Grusd testified that he was confused and didn’t know what he was doing was illegal, but U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant, who handed down the sentence, stated Grusd was a person who would “act smart enough to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes.
“A patient entrusts his life to his physician,” U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said in a previous Times of San Diego report. “A doctor’s medical decisions should be based on the best interest of the patient, not the highest bidder.”
Read the entire Times of San Diego story below.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.