Physician sentenced to 10 years for ‘rent-a-patient’ scheme

A physician, who worked out of Premium Surgery Center in Huntington Beach, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison today for participating in a health care fraud in which he administered unnecessary medical procedures on patients who were coerced to play along, according to a news release.

M.D. William W. Hampton, 53, of Cypress, was sentenced by United States District Judge Audrey B. Collins for his involvement in a “rent-a-patient” scheme, federal officials said. Hampton was convicted of knowingly performing more than 400 “sweaty palm surgeries” for patients who were bribed to undergo the unneeded procedures for cash or discounts on cosmetic surgery, officials said.

Surgery center employees marketed to people with private health insurance, officials said. Recruited patients would partake in the procedure and their insurance companies would be billed for the cost, federal officials said.

Testimony suggested that patients were coached to describe false symptoms and that Hampton encouraged many to exaggerate symptoms, allowing him to create medical charts that seemingly legitimized the procedures, a federal prosecutor said.

Besides facing a decade behind bars, Hampton was ordered to pay $2,466,352 in restitution to health insurance companies involved.

— Jacquelyn Rumfola