News-At-A-Glance: Yonkers Cardiologist Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

In another case of physician misconduct, Rohan Wijetilka, 65, of Manhattan, N.Y., was convicted of health care fraud and sentenced to three years in prison, in addition to paying $2 million in forfeitures and restitution. Wijetilka not only committed fraud against government payers, he also committed fraud against other insurance providers. Wijetilka maintained a cardiology practice where he saw patients and performed diagnostic tests. He continued his illegal activities even after receiving written notice from the New York Department of Health’s State Board for Professional Medical Conduct that he was under investigation. The board served Wijetilka with formal charges of professional misconduct, including alleged fraudulent billing. In addition to the charges of fraudulent billing mentioned above, he is also accused of filing false reports and failing to maintain adequate medical records. In order to attract new patients to his clinic, Wijetilka would prescribe controlled substances such as oxycodone to patients in exchange for them undergoing unnecessary diagnostic tests and other procedures.