Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, May 26: In a disturbing case that has rocked the US medical fraternity, a Texas-based doctor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating an elaborate healthcare fraud that spanned nearly two decades, leaving countless patients physically and emotionally scarred.
Dr Jorge Zamora-Quezada, 68, a licensed rheumatologist who practiced in Texas, Arizona, and Massachusetts, was found guilty of falsely diagnosing hundreds of patients with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis between 2000 and 2018. As per the US Department of Justice, he subjected them to harmful and unnecessary treatments—including toxic medications and repeated imaging tests—just to file inflated insurance claims.
By falsifying medical records and misleading insurance companies including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, Dr Zamora-Quezada defrauded the healthcare system of over $28 million, which he allegedly used to fund a life of luxury. The total fraudulent claims he filed surpassed a staggering $118 million.
US officials described the damage left in his wake as "devastating." Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, said, “Dr Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money.”
The impact on his patients has been severe and long-lasting. Many suffered serious side effects such as strokes, liver damage, hair loss, jawbone necrosis, and chronic pain. One patient recalled being bedridden and overwhelmed by powerful medication, saying, “I didn’t feel like my life had any meaning.” Others said they felt like lab rats, with their lives reduced to that of elderly individuals due to the aggressive treatments.
The trial, which lasted 25 days in January 2020, resulted in Dr Zamora-Quezada being found guilty on multiple counts including one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, seven counts of healthcare fraud, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He has also been sentenced to three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Adding to the gravity of the case, fellow doctors from the Rio Grande Valley testified that they had to re-diagnose hundreds of patients falsely treated for conditions they never had. The convicted doctor also reportedly created a toxic work environment in his clinics, threatening employees—especially those on work visas—with termination or deportation if they dared to speak up.
Dr Zamora-Quezada's medical licenses have since been revoked, closing the chapter on a shocking betrayal of the medical profession.