The injections were billed as gastroscopies. ILLUSTRATION Midi Libre – VINCENT LACOUR
Mr. Barnouin, the lawyer for the CPAM of Gard. HOCINE ROUAGDIA
Me Baptiste Scherrer, the lawyer of the doctor who will be tried on December 20. HOCINE ROUAGDIA
The CPAM du Gard filed a complaint in 2015 for fraud against a doctor who performed hyaluronic acid injections in order to make patients who were obese or overweight lose weight. The procedures were billed to the Social Security as gastroscopies. The social organization is claiming nearly 160,000 euros in damages.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000The case of hyaluronic acid injections into patients' stomachs in order to make them lose weight should reach its judicial epilogue on December 20th before the criminal court of Nîmes. The gastroenterologist who performed the injections in a clinic in Nîmes is being brought before the judges for fraud against the CPAM of Gard. He is specifically accused of having performed injections into his patients' stomachs and having passed them off as gastroscopies that were billed to the Gard Social Security.
The injections into the gastric mucosa were intended to reduce the size of the stomach and allow overweight or obese people to lose weight. However, this technique has not been officially recognised by medical authorities or the primary health insurance fund. He is therefore accused of having performed non-reimbursed procedures and of having passed them off as reimbursable procedures, endoscopies in this case.
Several patients have joined the investigation as civil parties in the context of the investigation conducted by an investigating judge of the Nîmes judicial court.
Indicted in 2018, tried in December 2024
This gastroenterologist had been indicted in 2018 for fraud against the CPAM du Gard. The case began with an administrative investigation by the social security organization and then with a complaint from the lawyer for the CPAM du Gard, Me Christian Barnouin, who contacted the public prosecutor of Nîmes in October 2015.
Me Baptiste Scherrer, the practitioner's lawyer, had repeatedly stressed that his client was really helping patients lose weight. Mr. Scherrer had also pointed out other responsibilities than those of the doctor. In his order of March 14, 2023, in addition to fraud, the Nîmes investigating judge also found the offenses of forgery and use of forgery and having performed unauthorized medical acts and deception on a service, in this case that the medical acts were not authorized.
Almost nine years after the complaint was filed, the case should be judged by the criminal court to decide whether or not the doctor committed criminal offenses. For its part, the primary health insurance fund of Gard is still said to be a civil party in the case and is claiming approximately 159,000 euros. Me Laurence Bourgeon would represent another civil party.
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