Popular North Fork doctor pleads guilty to fraud in brain scan scam
A well known family medicine doctor on the East End, who retired from his practice last month, was charged in federal court this week for allegedly receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
Dr. Vishnudat Seodat, 75, of Mattituck agreed to plead guilty in Boston federal court Monday to conspiring to commit health care fraud and faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of roughly $250,000, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts.
Dr. Seodat worked as a licensed New York medical doctor for 36 years and operated three New York Health, Inc. offices in Wading River, Riverhead and Cutchogue. He announced his retirement in a letter to his patients dated Nov. 20.
The local doctor has been accused of conspiring with others in falsely diagnosing patients in order to prescribe unnecessary transcranial doppler (TCD) brain scans in exchange for monetary kickbacks. This was done by submitting claims to Medicare and other insurance companies on behalf of an unnamed mobile medical diagnostics company that performed these scans.
Dr. Seodat was allegedly paid cash roughly $100 per fraudulent TCD test, the news release stated. The charging documents showed that the scheme resulted in nearly $1 million in fraudulent bills to Medicare and private insurance companies.
A plea hearing for Dr. Seodat has not yet been scheduled.
