Longtime CT eye doctor sentenced for bogus brain scan scheme

Hartford County resident Donald Salzberg, age 69, of Avon, was sentenced to one year in prison in Boston federal court on Thursday, May 9.

It came nearly two years after Salzberg, who operated Salzberg, M.D. on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford for nearly 40 years, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and receive kickbacks.

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Earlier Report: Popular CT Eye Doctor Admits To Taking Kickbacks For Bogus Brain Scan Orders

Prosecutors said between 2014 and 2019 he conspired with the principal of a medical diagnostics company to order hundreds of unnecessary transcranial doppler scans, which measure blood flow in parts of the brain, in exchange for kickbacks.

Using false patient diagnoses to order the scans, Salzberg's co-conspirator submitted claims to Medicare and other insurance companies on behalf of the medical diagnostic company for payment.

In exchange, Salzberg received kickbacks of $100 to $125 per test that he ordered, plus administrative service fees.

The scheme resulted in bogus bills of more than $3 million to Medicare and private insurance companies, according to investigators.

At Thursday's sentencing hearing, Salzberg was ordered to pay $1.34 million in restitution to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers. He must also complete one year of supervised release.