What best describes the scheme where a doctor orders unnecessary lab tests for profit?

The scheme where a doctor orders unnecessary lab tests for profit is best described as a clinical lab scheme. This type of fraudulent activity involves a healthcare provider, such as a doctor, who significantly increases profits by exploiting the healthcare system through unnecessary medical tests and procedures. By ordering tests that are not medically justified, the provider can bill insurance companies or patients for these tests, thus generating income without providing any real medical value.

In this context, the clinical lab scheme is characterized by the manipulation of laboratory services, where the doctor may collaborate with laboratories or receive kickbacks for referential services. This aligns with how the scheme operates, specifically focusing on laboratory tests.

Other options, while they involve various aspects of fraud in the healthcare industry, do not specifically pertain to the act of ordering unnecessary lab tests. A fictitious provider refers to a scenario where a non-existent medical professional is used to submit fake claims. A rolling lab scheme typically involves moving equipment and operators to avoid detection, which doesn’t directly encapsulate the unnecessary ordering by a doctor. A patient over-utilization scheme pertains to encouraging patients to seek unnecessary services rather than the specific ordering of lab tests by the provider. Thus, the clinical lab scheme accurately captures the essence of the described fraudulent activity.