Dr. Asad Qamar, a cardiologist from Ocala, Florida, and his practice, the Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence (ICE), have agreed to pay $2 million to settle allegations of Medicare fraud. The allegations stem from a lawsuit filed on December 22, 2014, which claimed that Dr. Qamar and ICE billed Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for medically unnecessary procedures and paid kickbacks to patients by waiving Medicare copayments without regard to financial hardship.
The lawsuit alleged that Dr. Qamar and ICE billed for excessive, medically unnecessary, and inadequately documented peripheral artery interventional services and related procedures. Many of the cardiovascular procedures billed for were not indicated by patients’ medical histories or records, or the severity of the patients’ symptoms.
The government also alleged that Dr. Qamar and ICE routinely and indiscriminately waived the 20 percent Medicare copayment, regardless of the patient’s financial need. This practice induced patients to agree to unnecessary and invasive procedures and other services.
Dr. Qamar was the highest-paid Medicare cardiologist in the country in 2012 and 2013, according to the government. The settlement also requires Dr. Qamar to release any claim to $5.3 million in suspended Medicare funds.
Dr. Qamar has agreed to a three-year period of exclusion from participating in any federal healthcare program, followed by a three-year Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
The allegations resolved by today’s settlement were originally raised in two lawsuits filed pursuant to the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.
Defendant: Dr. Asad Qamar
Crime: Medicare Fraud
City and State: Ocala, Florida
Date: December 22, 2014
Sentence: $2 million fine, three-year exclusion from federal healthcare programs, and three-year Integrity Agreement
Dollar Amounts: $2 million, $5.3 million in suspended Medicare funds
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime