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Insurance Claims professional presents articles and videos on insurance, insurance Claims and insurance law for insurance Claims adjusters, insurance professionals and insurance lawyers who wish to improve their skills and knowledge. Presented by an internationally recognized expert and author.
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November 06, 2024
Insurance Fraud Requires Doctor to Lose his License

Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/insurance-fraud-requires-doctor-lose-his-license-zalma-esq-cfe-l2qkc/?trackingId=8KA%2FEXdvoGfzd13NxusOMw%3D%3D

Sexual Misconduct, Fraud, Bribery & Unnecessary Surgery Revokes License

Post 4927

Louis Quartararo appealed from an August 22, 2022 final agency decision of the State Board of Medical Examiners (Board), revoking his license to practice medicine and surgery in New Jersey. The Superior Court of New Jersey, in In The Matter Of The Suspension Or Revocation Of The License Of Louis Quartararo, M.D. License No. 25MA07137700 To Practice Medicine And Surgery In The State Of New Jersey, No. A-0425-22, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division (October 31, 2024) affirmed the revocation.

The Board charged Dr. Quartararo with engaging in sexual contact with patients; negligent acts by performing surgeries with co-surgeons who lacked the requisite privileges; and acts of fraud, deception and misrepresentation by miscoding procedures on patient operative reports and listing procedures in the reports he had not performed for the purpose of ensuring insurance coverage.

FACTS

Quartararo was a physician and Board-certified orthopedic surgeon licensed to practice medicine in New Jersey.

Approximately one week before K.D. was scheduled to meet with Board investigators, Quartararo gave K.D. $20,916, which K.D. told an investigator was “for school.” Later, Quartararo’s attorney offered her more money to retract the statement she had made to the Board about her relationship with Quartararo.

THE OAL HEARING

At a formal hearing, the Board’s expert, Dr. Ashraf addressed Quartararo’s treatment of patient Y.O. revealed that the surgical procedures Quartararo performed were not medically necessary. In reviewing the description of Quartararo’s procedure on Y.O.’s spine, Dr. Ashraf concluded that Quartararo’s surgery on Y.O.’s completely normal spine “is gross negligence.”

Regarding the fraud claims alleging that Quartararo had failed to properly code surgical procedures that he performed on E.S., D.C., Y.O., L.V., D.E., and V.C., Dr. Ashraf testified that the “whole function” of the “operations” section on the first page of the operative report was to list the procedures that were performed during the operation and he testified that, despite “laminotomy” appearing on the first page of V.C.’s and D.C.’s reports, their post-surgery MRIs revealed that laminotomies had not been performed.

THE ALJ’S DECISION

The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issued a comprehensive seventy-nine-page decision and concluded that Quartararo had “engaged in gross malpractice, professional misconduct, failure to comply with regulations administered by the Board, and failure to be of good moral character.”

On August 22, 2022, the Board filed its final decision, revoking Quartararo’s license for a minimum of seven years from the date of voluntary surrender, April 5, 2019. The Board concluded that Quartararo’s “misconduct warrants a serious penalty in excess of that recommended by [the ALJ]” and that he “flagrantly ignored, and in fact shattered professional norms when he engaged in sexual misconduct with patients Y.R. and K.D.” The Board found Quartararo’s conduct was “so egregious that the only appropriate discipline is a license revocation.”

The Board also imposed an aggregate monetary sanction of $343,909.75, comprised of a civil penalty of $90,000, $61,684.75 in costs, and $192,225 in attorney’s fees.

Quartararo Argued

The Board determined that revocation was warranted because he preyed on two vulnerable patients employed intimidation and coercion tactics to dissuade at least one of his victims-K.D.- from testifying about the true nature of their relation, and resorted to making threats resulting in the issuance of a temporary restraining order against him.

Quartararo admitted he had not performed laminotomies and that he had used the laminotomy code to ensure that he would be paid by insurance carriers. He did so rather than correctly coding the procedures he actually performed because of the risk he would otherwise not be paid.

ZALMA OPINION

Quartararo admitted before the ALJ that he committed fraud by billing insurers for laminotomies that he did not perform. As such he admitted to committing a federal as well as a New Jersey felony that should be presented to the US Attorney and the local District Attorney for prosecution. He lost his license because he took advantage sexually of vulnerable patients, committed gross acts of malpractice and profited from knowing insurance fraud. The people of New Jersey are now safe from his criminal and unprofessional conduct for a few more years, and in my opinion he should be prosecuted and sentenced to prison for the fraud.

(c) 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

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00:08:41
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8 hours ago
Not Nice to Shop the Federal Court to Avoid State Court

Who’s on First? State or Federal Court

Post 5222

Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gWj97cFs, see the video at https://lnkd.in/gtS6CpUX and at https://lnkd.in/gQEAeyHc,

Conflict Between State & Federal Court Requires Abstention

See the video at https://lnkd.in/gtS6CpUX and at https://lnkd.in/gQEAeyHc,

Conflict Between State & Federal Court Requires Abstention

Hector David Campoverde was injured at a Brooklyn construction site in 2015. Campoverde was an employee of Vazquez Bro Restoration Inc., a subcontractor for C.C.C. Renovation Inc., which was itself a subcontractor for general contractor L&M Builders Group LLC. In Starr Indemnity & Liability Company v. Scottsdale Insurance Company, No. 24-CV-3309 (PKC) (TAM), United States District Court, E.D. New York (September 30, 2025) was asked to determine whether one or more of the involved insurers is obligated to indemnify Campoverde, and in what order Camporverde can receive indemnity, from one or more insurer.

Underlying Incident:

Campoverde sued the ...

00:07:43
November 04, 2025
One Year Suit Limitation Defeats Suit Filed Two Years After Denial of Claim

National Flood Policy Bars Late Filed Suit

Post 5221

Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-year-suit-limitation-defeats-filed-two-years-zalma-esq-cfe-olr0c, see the video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

No Excuse for Late Flood Suit After Claim Denial

In Domenico D’ambrosio, Michele D’ambrosio v. American Bankers Insurance Company Of Florida, No. 2:25-cv-155-KCD-NPM, United States District Court, M.D. Florida, Fort Myers Division (October 7, 2025) this is an insurance dispute stemming from Hurricane Ian. Plaintiffs Domenico and Michelle D’Ambrosio submitted a flood claim that Defendant American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida will not pay. To recover the funds allegedly owed, Plaintiffs sued for breach of contract.

Defendant’s moved to dismiss under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). Defendant presses one ...

00:05:49
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November 04, 2025
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter – November 1, 2025

ZIFL – Volume 29, Issue 21

THE SOURCE FOR THE INSURANCE FRAUD PROFESSIONAL

Post 5220

Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gRMJpi4s, see the video at https://lnkd.in/gwGSd6ZA & at https://lnkd.in/gbDiuFJy, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

See the video at & at https://rumble.com/v711hr0-zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-november-1-2025.html

See the full 18 page issue of ZIFL at ZIFL-11-01-2025

Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 29th year of publication dedicated to those involved in reducing the effect of insurance fraud. ZIFL is published 24 times a year by ClaimSchool and is written by Barry Zalma. It is provided FREE to anyone who visits the site at http://zalma.com/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-2/

Conviction for Health Insurance Fraud Upheld

Physician Conspired with Bonavilla to Effect Health Insurance Fraud

Dennis Davin Bonavilla was involved in an insurance fraud scheme as an executive of Free Choice Healthcare. The scheme targeted indigent patients, often on ...

00:10:22
October 31, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part 9

The Professional Claims Handler
Post 5219

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Barry Zalma

An Insurance claims professionals should be a person who:

Can read and understand the insurance policies issued by the insurer.
Understands the promises made by the policy.
Understand their obligation, as an insurer’s claims staff, to fulfill the promises made.
Are competent investigators.
Have empathy and recognize the difference between empathy and sympathy.
Understand medicine relating to traumatic injuries and are sufficiently versed in tort law to deal with lawyers as equals.
Understand how to repair damage to real and personal property and the value of the repairs or the property.
Understand how to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement with the insured that is fair and reasonable to both the insured and the insurer.

How to Create Claims Professionals

To avoid fraudulent claims, claims of breach of contract, bad faith, punitive damages, unresolved losses, and to make a profit, insurers ...

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October 20, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part I

The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert

The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail
Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.
My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...

post photo preview
October 20, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part I

The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert

The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail

Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.

My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...

post photo preview
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