Cancer Dr. Fatah sentenced to 45 years for fraud

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> In the News

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

mirror

Thu, Jul 16 2015, 3:48 pm

http://www.usatoday.com/story/.....6107/

Quote:

He pumped poisonous chemotherapy drugs into patients for years, telling them they had cancer. They didn't.

He over-treated terminal cancer patients rather than letting them die peacefully. When he could profit from it, he also under-treated actual cancer patients.

And on Friday, nearly two years after his arrest, Dr. Farid Fata was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for violating more than 550 patients' trust and raking in more than $17 million from fraudulent billings.

I wonder if the subsequent lawsuits will bring up cost of malpractice and drive more doctors to retirement?

sushi galore

Thu, Jul 16 2015, 3:53 pm

45 yrs for being the mengele ym"sh in our generation....???!!

nywife

Thu, Jul 16 2015, 7:28 pm

Horrible story all around. It still doesn't make sense to me that one person was able to pull it off. There had to be people in on it. Nurses, techs, other doctors all should have come across these patients labs at some point and seen that something was off. Also, why did so many patients not go for a second opinion? (I'm not God forbid blaming them).

ra_mom

Thu, Jul 16 2015, 7:34 pm

This isn't "fraud". This is murder hundreds of times over.

anon for this

Thu, Jul 16 2015, 8:15 pm

I read an article that explains how Fata got away with it for so long. He hired young, inexperienced subordinates who were unlikely to question his actions, and ordered most testing and treatments himself. But one subordinate, Dr. Maunglay, was already suspicious of Fata because Fata claimed that the clinics were enrolled in a program that they weren't in. When Dr. Maunglay realized that one patient's diagnosis of multiple myeloma (which was easier to fake than other cancer diagnoses) was not consistent with her lab results, he investigated further.

http://www.detroitnews.com/sto.....reads

Amarante

Thu, Jul 16 2015, 8:59 pm

It's just hard to wrap my head around someone who does such evil for greed. Not that greed of course explains it since you have to have a twisted sociopathic mind to actually do something like that.

Not that I condone dishonesty but I can better understand how a thief/embezzler can rationalize purely economic crimes. But how does one possibly justify in any way doing something that causes suffering and death to other people - and not one impulsive action done in the heat of the moment but a well thought out scheme for years - and to have the people come to see you and know that you have caused their terrible suffering.

I remember several years ago, there was a pharmacist who diluted cancer drugs. The irony was that he used some of the money to donate millions to his Church.

myself

Fri, Jul 17 2015, 7:08 am

Another reason to always go for a second opinion.

PinkFridge

Fri, Jul 17 2015, 10:31 am

myself wrote:

Another reason to always go for a second opinion.

Yes.
Very bizarre, and heartbreaking, of course, story. I heard an interview with a victim's relative and I guess the interviewer wanted to be kind, or maybe I missed a minute, but I don't get how this happened.

Miri7

Fri, Jul 17 2015, 1:56 pm

[quote="Devoirie"]http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/10/cancer-doctor-sentenced-years-horrific-fraud/29996107/

Quote:

I wonder if the subsequent lawsuits will bring up cost of malpractice and drive more doctors to retirement?

This doctor's alleged actions were intentional malicious acts, which are not typically covered by malpractice. Just like your car insurance will cover you in an accident but not if you intentionally ram your car into another. So I believe it is unlikely to have any impact on malpractice insurance.

octopus

Fri, Jul 17 2015, 2:59 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

I can see how it happened. Insurances don't cover second and third opinions. Ppl think they are going to a top, top doctor and blindly trust that they are getting superior care. That's how.

mirror

Sat, Jul 18 2015, 11:01 pm

octopus wrote:

I can see how it happened. Insurances don't cover second and third opinions. Ppl think they are going to a top, top doctor and blindly trust that they are getting superior care. That's how.

It's very disturbing. Insurance companies deny legitimate claims, and then they cover overdoses of chemo drugs without any questions?

Page 1 of 1