Georgia doctor accused of bilking Medicare of $1.5 million

A Ringgold doctor falsely diagnosed patients as suffering from heavy metal poisoning and then billed Medicare for their treatment, federal prosecutors allege in a Medicare fraud lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. district court in Atlanta.

Dr. Charles C. Adams perpetrated the scheme in Georgia for seven years, the government alleges, submitting some 4,500 claims and collecting about $1.5 million for what the lawsuit calls medically unnecessary chelation therapy.

He also put patients at risk of serious injury, the False Claims Act lawsuit alleges.

The drugs used in the treatment can cause serious side effects such as low blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms and kidney damage, and one of the chelating drugs has a “black box” warning that it can produce toxic effects that can be fatal. Medical authorities say the treatment should be administered only for a limited duration and only in cases where a blood test has found extremely high amounts of toxic metals.

Read more: https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/georgia-doctor-accused-bilking-medicare-million/RrOyUHflOEQO6TKjiwEQAJ/