A cardiology practice in Florida and several of its cardiologists have agreed to pay $2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and committed fraud. As a part of the agreement, there has been no determination of liability.
Orlando-based Florida Cardiology, P.A., includes a team of 15 cardiologists who work out of 10 different locations throughout the greater Orlando area. The practice’s cardiologists specialize in both invasive and noninvasive treatment options, and they work closely with several health systems in the area.
According to a statement on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) website, Florida Cardiology, P.A., and 10 of its cardiologists allegedly violated the False Claims Act by submitting “inflated claims” to both Medicare and Medicaid. Specific examples of the alleged fraud included billing for more intravascular stents than were inserted into the patient, billing for radiofrequency ablations that were performed by a completely different physician and billing for certain services while the cardiologist in question was located outside of the United States.
In addition to Medicare and Medicaid, these false claims were also allegedly submitted to TRICARE and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
“Fraud schemes represent a tangible threat to our public health programs,” U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg said in the DOJ statement. “This civil settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to the integrity of these programs, and to holding providers accountable for the truth of what they represent in their claims.”
“False claims threaten the integrity of the Federal healthcare programs and waste American taxpayer funds,” added Conrad J. Quarles, deputy assistant inspector general for investigations with the Office of the Inspector General. “We applaud our partners at the DOJ for holding providers accountable for fraudulent billing practices.”
Physicians specifically named in the DOJ statement were Sandeep Bajaj, MD; Abbas Ali, MD; Karan Reddy, MD; Claudio Manubens, MD; Milan Kothari, MD; Saroj Tampira, MD; Sayed Hussain, MD; Raviprasad Subraya, MD; Harish Patil, MD; and Edwin Martinez, MD.
This settlement stems from a lawsuit originally filled by two relators. Under the whistleblower provisions built into the False Claims Act, those relators each receive $420,000 from that settlement.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.