Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
Misdiagnosis Leads To Fraud Settlement
A Florida neurologist agreed to pay $150,000 to the government on May 20 to settle allegations of providing medically unnecessary services and drugs to Medicare and Tricare patients. The doctor is accused of deliberately misdiagnosing patients with neurological problems (including multiple sclerosis) so he could bill additional services and drugs.
“Physicians who knowingly misdiagnose serious illnesses and provide unnecessary services in order to bill federal healthcare programs violate the trust their patients and the taxpayers have in the medical profession,” said Shimon R. Richmond of the OIG in a statement. “Our agency will continue to thoroughly investigate health care professionals involved in such duplicity and waste.”
The physician was brought to the OIG’s attention following a whistleblower suit by a former co-worker, who will collect $26,250 as her share of the settlement.
Resource: To read more about the case, visit http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/government-settles-false-claims-act-allegations-against-florida-neurologist-150000.
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Misdiagnosis Leads To Fraud Settlement
A Florida neurologist agreed to pay $150,000 to the government on May 20 to settle [...]
