"...recruited homeless people on Medicare and Medi-Cal for hospitalization."

The former head of City of Angels Medical Center pleaded guilty today to his part in a scheme that used L.A.’s Skid Row homeless to defraud Medicare and Medi-Cal. More from KPCC’s Debra Baer.

Debra Baer: Dr. Rudra Sabaratnam pleaded guilty in federal court to two felony counts of paying half-a-million dollars in illegal kickbacks for patient referrals. Prosecutors say he and a co-defendant, who also admitted guilt, recruited homeless people on Medicare and Medi-Cal for hospitalization, even though they weren’t sick. They then billed the government health programs for unnecessary medical care.

Sabaratnam agreed to pay more than $4 million in restitution to Medicare and Medi-Cal. The 64-year-old Brentwood physician faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in June.

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