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Ophthalmology Practices Pay $2.3M for Fraudulent Ultrasounds
31 Jul
Summary
- Two New York eye practices paid $2.3 million for false Medicare claims.
- Allegations include billing for medically unnecessary cranial ultrasounds.
- A whistleblower will receive over $132,000 from the settlement.
Two New York ophthalmology practices, Fromer Eye Centers and Floral Park Ophthalmology, have agreed to pay a total of $2.3 million to settle allegations of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid. Federal prosecutors claimed the practices performed and billed for thousands of medically unnecessary cranial ultrasounds.
These ultrasounds were allegedly performed on patients identified as having a serious diagnosis that could qualify for reimbursement, even before results confirmed the diagnosis. Fromer Eye Centers and the estate of its former owner will pay $1.8 million, and Floral Park Ophthalmology will pay $500,000.
Floral Park Ophthalmology also faced accusations of receiving payments from a testing company in exchange for referring patients. A whistleblower who initiated the False Claims Act case is expected to receive approximately $132,000 from the Fromer settlement. Both practices have agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
