Virginia Doctor Who Conned Women Into Hysterectomies, Sterilizations For Insurance Money Gets 60 Years In Prison

 

A former Chesapeake, Virginia doctor was sentenced to 59 years in prison for subjecting women to unnecessary medical procedures, such as irreversible hysterectomies and improper sterilizations, over the past decade in an effort to obtain more insurance money.

Javaid Perwaiz, 71, was an obstetrician-gynecologist operating in Virginia since the 1980s, the Department of Justice noted in its press release on the sentencing. Perwaiz committed the horrifying acts between 2010 and 2019, according to evidence presented at his trial. In addition to harming dozens of women, he also “caused approximately $20.8 million dollars in losses to private and government health care insurers for irreversible hysterectomies and other surgeries and procedures that were not medically necessary for his patients,” the DOJ said.“Perwaiz also violated the 30-day waiting period Medicaid requires for elective sterilizations by submitting backdated forms to falsely make it appear as if he had complied with the waiting period. Perwaiz billed insurance hundreds of thousands of dollars for diagnostic procedures that he only pretended to perform at his office,” the DOJ added.

More than 25 former patients testified against Perwaiz at his trial. Some explained the ongoing complications they still suffer from due to his actions. The court also received more than 60 Victim Impact Statements as well as hundreds of tips through the FBI hotline regarding the former doctor’s actions. Nurses also testified that they repeatedly informed their supervisors about Perwaiz’s actions.

“On November 9, 2020, a federal jury convicted Perwaiz of 52 counts of health care fraud and false statements. In total, Perwaiz was responsible for $20.8 million worth of false and fraudulent billings for both himself and the hospitals where he performed the surgeries,” the DOJ wrote.