Attorney General files lawsuit against podiatrist Dr. Lanham

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- After a FOX6 hidden camera investigation Dr. John Lanham, a Milwaukee-area podiatrist, had his license suspended for a year for deceiving clients about insurance coverage and sticking them with outrageous bills.

Now, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has stepped in and filed a lawsuit against the physician, accusing the man of misleading his patients.

According to an eight-page complaint, when patients asked Lanham if his office accepted their insurance he would say yes even though he wasn't part of any insurance network.

In a letter to the state's Consumer Protection Office last year, Lanham wrote that "My office staff and I do not lie. We also do not volunteer information" -- a statement which the lawsuit calls "deceptive and misleading."

Lanham has repeatedly refused to answer questions from FOX6 Investigators. When it comes to the Attorney General, Lanham will have 20 days to respond to the lawsuit.

If the state has its way, Lanham will be required to pay his patients back, plus up to $200 in fines for every misleading statement made.

A spokesman for the Attorney General says if you were misled by Dr. Lanham, you may still file a complaint by calling Wisconsin Consumer Protection at 800-422-7128.

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