STOCKTON, Calif. — A San Joaquin County orthopedic surgeon has been convicted of 10 felony counts of health care insurance fraud, the California Attorney General's Office announced Friday.
On Thursday, a jury trial at the Sacramento County Superior Court ended in the guilty conviction of Lodi orthopedic surgeon Gary Wisner, who defrauded the Medi-cal and medicare systems.
The state's Department of Justice first got involved in the case in November 2016 when representatives from multiple government offices suspected fraud by Wisner who overbilled the Medi-cal and medicare programs.
The Department's Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) conducted an investigation finding that Wisner administered X-rays during routine office visits and would X-ray multiple parts of a patient's body regardless of whether it had relation to that patient's medical condition.
“When medical practitioners abuse their power, it's always at the expense of patients under their care,” Attorney General Bonta said in a statement. “Gary Wisner abused the position he held as a healthcare provider by subjecting his patients to unnecessary procedures to secure additional profits."
During the trial, evidence was shown in court indicating that Wisner had subjected 10 patients to hundreds of unnecessary X-rays from 2012 to 2016.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Department of Insurance all played roles in the investigation.
A pending case against Wisner for worker's compensation fraud is ongoing in San Joaquin County, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Wisner, who is still licensed by the Medical Board of California, operated a practice out of Lodi.
An accusation that could change the status of Wisner's license has been filed with the state's Medical Board.
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