A Connecticut eye doctor has been slapped with a prison stint for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that lasted half a decade. Dr. Donald Salzberg, 69, of Avon was sentenced to a year and a day behind bars and is on the hook for $1.34 million in restitution after admitting to receiving kickbacks for ordering unnecessary brain scans, as per federal prosecutors.

In a case that once more highlights the flawed seams of our health care fabric, Dr. Salzberg made sure to frequently order the costly medical procedure, not based on patient need, but the weight of the bribe he pocketed per scan. According to the Department of Justice, after his guilty plea last July, the ophthalmologist—who had been practicing in Connecticut for nearly 40 years—was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to receive kickbacks.

At the heart of the fraudulent operation was a medical diagnostics company whose principal conspired with Salzberg to carry out the scam, loading up on unnecessary transcranial doppler (TCD) scans. These scans, which measure cerebral blood flow, were ordered using falsified patient diagnoses. The co-conspirators would then bill Medicare and other insurers, amassing over $3 million in fraudulent charges.

The long arm of the law caught up to Salzberg, who will now have to serve time plus an additional year of supervised release. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy underscored the gravity of the offense, noting the exorbitant bills footed by Medicare and insurance companies due to the doctor's greed. Salzberg used to pocket between $100 to $125 for every unneeded test he prescribed, along with additional so-called ‘administrative services fees.’

The authorities hailed the sentencing as a victory for the integrity of the U.S. healthcare system. A cohort of federal agencies, including the FBI, IRS, and the Departments of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs were involved in unmasking the scheme. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit took the lead in prosecuting the case.