Doc Billed for Fake Vein Jobs, Gets $4 Million Slap

⏱ 2 min read

A Baltimore-area doctor and his healthcare corporation allegedly raked in millions by billing Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for fake vein treatments. CVR Management, LLC, and its CEO Sanjiv Lakhanpal, MD, FACS, agreed to pay the feds $4 million to settle allegations of False Claims Act violations.

Between 2010 and 2016, the corporation allegedly submitted claims for medically unnecessary vein procedures, including sclerotherapy and radiofrequency ablation. The treatments were supposed to address chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where veins don’t function properly, causing swelling, varicose veins, and skin discoloration.

But here’s the kicker: Medicare and Medicaid only cover these treatments if patients have other underlying conditions and have tried alternative treatments first. And TRICARE, the military’s healthcare program, doesn’t cover them at all for cosmetic reasons.

The feds say CVR Management knew this but kept billing anyway. The $4 million settlement is a small price to pay, considering the alleged scheme likely brought in millions.