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NEWARK
– A physician who practiced in West
New York and Paramus has agreed to permanently
surrender his medical license and to pay
restitution to patients’ insurance
companies, as well as pay civil penalties
and reimbursement for investigative and
legal costs to the state.
Dr.
Rey N. Bello, 53, voluntarily surrendered
his license rather than stand for a disciplinary
hearing before the Board of Medical Examiners.
His permanent license surrender, deemed
a revocation by the Board, took effect on
January 31.
An
administrative Complaint filed with the
Board last October alleged that Bello performed
unnecessary electrodiagnostic testing, committed
incompetent performance and interpretation
of such testing, billed for testing not
performed, referred patients to his self-owned
surgical facilities for invasive procedures
without disclosure, made false statements
to the Board, and failed to maintain required
continued medical education.
“The
Board acted to protect the public and this
settlement achieves that result,”
Attorney General Paula T. Dow said. “In
his attempts to enrich himself, Bello broke
the trust of his patients and violated professional
standards of conduct.”
Bello
is required to pay $8,138.17 in restitution
to insurance companies, plus $10,000 in
civil penalties and $19,327 in cost reimbursements
to the state, under terms of the settlement.
“Greed
drove this physician, and ultimately it
cost him his profession,” said Thomas
R. Calcagni, Acting Director of the Division
of Consumer Affairs. “Licensees who
attempt to commit fraud would be wise to
heed the lesson from this case and weigh
the potential consequences.”
Senior
Deputy Attorney General Joan D. Gelber represented
the State in this matter.
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