Paid 64 times the average

Paid 64 times average

Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist who has been linked to a criminal probe involving U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, was paid $20,827,341 in 2012, or 64 times the average in his field, the data show. His appeal of a 2009 ruling that found he overbilled Medicare by $8.9 million was rejected last year. Farid Fata, a Michigan oncologist was paid $10,063,281 in 2012, was charged with Medicare fraud in August, according to court records. The data opens fresh questions about Medicare's payment policies.

"Deterring improper payments is a top priority of CMS in order to protect beneficiaries and taxpayers," said Aaron Albright, a CMS spokesman. The agency "is working with our contractors to develop an appropriate cumulative payment threshold that considers costs, as well as potential benefits in determining which claims and providers should be selected for further scrutiny." Kirk Ogrosky, a former federal prosecutor who now represents Melgen's company, said U.S. officials who combat fraud shouldn't be looking at raw payment amounts alone.