Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - January 12, 2007
John Dorschner, jdorschner@MiamiHerald.com
She faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly defrauding Medicaid, the government program for the poor, out of more than $73,000 for billing for HIV/AIDS infusion therapies through Medlife Services, a Miami clinic.
The affidavit in support of the arrest warrant, filled out by investigator Gene Francar, indicates the case involved billing done in the name of two Miami-Dade doctors, Victor and Delsa Ferran, who cooperated with investigators.
The billing involved unusually high amounts of WinRho, an AIDS/HIV treatment medication.
AIDS fraud in Florida is thought by law enforcement officials to be huge, with at least one government source saying the average AIDS/HIV patient in Florida racks up bills four times that of his or her counterpart in California and 10 times that of a New York AIDS/HIV patient.
State records indicate that Victor Ferran was recently disciplined by the state medical board, put on probation and slapped with a $15,000 fine for allegations that he failed to provide proper care for a patient who was HIV-positive.
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