MEDICARE FRAUD: West Hollywood Doc Agrees To $1.5 Million Settlement

      A West Hollywood doctor has paid the federal government $1.5 million to settle civil charges that he defrauded the Medicare program. The Los Angeles Times reports that the settlement is "believed to be the largest prosecuted involving false bills submitted to Medicare for home visits." Dr. David Yedidsion, a general practitioner, was the "single largest biller of home medical services in the country" between January 1992 and May 1995, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurice Suh." Yedidsion admitted in the civil case that he billed Medicare for patients who were dead, had relocated or were in prison, leading to false payments of about $311,000. In a separate criminal case last month, he "pleaded guilty to 10 counts of mail fraud and two counts of making false statements to the Small Business Administration." He will be sentenced to jail in September, probably to about 30 months, according to officials involved in the case (7/30).