3 surgeons charged in $580M spine surgery kickback scheme: 5 things to know

Spine

Three more surgeons in Corona Del Mar, Irvine and Dana Point, Calif., have been charged with involvement in an alleged $580 million kickback scheme, according to Patch.

Here are five things to know:

1. Investigators allege multiple surgeons took kickbacks and bribes to direct or perform spine surgeons at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach (Calif.).

2. David Hobart Payne, MD, an orthopedic surgeon is accused of taking $450,000 in kickbacks to funnel $10 million in spine surgeries to the hospital.

3. Neurosurgeon Jeffrey Lokesh Tantuwaya, MD, is accused of receiving $3.2 million in bribes to direct or perform $38 million in surgeries at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach.

4. Orthopedic surgeon Jeffrey David Gross, MD, is the third surgeon accused of taking $622,000 for referring $19 million in surgeries at the hospital.

5. In total, nine people have been convicted in part of the scheme that dates back 15 years. Former Pacific Hospital of Long Beach owner Michael Drobot was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison back in January for his role in the scheme.

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