The family of 67-year-old grandfather Frank Dimos has renewed calls for accountability after he died in 2015 from an undiagnosed aortic dissection just hours after being sent home with painkillers by the late Dr Con Perkoulidis.
They have spent a decade fighting for justice, only to discover there is no legal recourse for patients treated by retired doctors who lack indemnity insurance.
Dimos’ step-daughter, Maria Roiniotis, told The Sydney Morning Herald the family is devastated that “there’s nothing else we can do,” as Perkoulidis – who died last year – was uninsured, bankrupt, and had a long record of Medicare fraud.
Although the family won a default judgment in 2022, they cannot claim compensation because Perkoulidis failed to notify his insurer and did not qualify for the government run-off scheme for retired doctors.
Lawyer Emily Hart confirmed the insurer denies coverage for the claim.
Perkoulidis had previously been ordered to repay $392,154.60 following a professional services review that found fabricated records, improper billing and repeated breaches of Medicare rules.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
