Dr. Mustafa A. Hammad, Medicare Billing Fraud, Florida 2023

Panama City doctor Dr. Mustafa A. Hammad, a neurologist and pain management physician, has agreed to a Grimy Times investigation, has agreed to pay a $550,000 settlement to resolve allegations of Medicare and Medicaid billing fraud.

According to a consent judgment filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Dr. Hammad, M.D., allegedly conducted and interpreted approximately 582 sleep studies while physically located outside the United States and then billed the Medicare and Medicaid programs for such services in violation of the False Claims Act. The United States also alleged that Dr. Hammad issued multiple prescriptions on dates he was physically outside the United States in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.

The United States filed a lawsuit in March 2023 alleging numerous violations under the False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act. Dr. Hammad agreed to a consent judgment, which included the payment of a $550,000 settlement, the sale of his real property in Panama City, and not contesting a forfeiture judgment entered against him in the amount of $506,017.40. Additionally, Dr. Hammad agreed to not reapply for a DEA registration.

“Doctors, like Dr. Hammad, who falsify prescriptions and medical records increase the likelihood of prescription misuse and abuse,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This consent judgement demonstrates our resolve to hold those accountable who misuse their DEA Registration.”

“Physicians who participate in federal health care programs must follow the law when billing federally funded health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid,” said Stephen Mahmood, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of these taxpayer-funded programs and the people they serve. Working closely with the United States Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners, we will continue to thoroughly investigate such fraudulent billing schemes.”

Dr. Hammad is a former neurologist and pain management physician who practiced medicine at the NeuroMedical Institute (“NMI”) in Panama City, Florida. He has resided outside the United States since approximately September 2019. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (Diversion Control Program), Bay County Sherriff’s Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Ann Couch, Marie Moyle, Katherine Kerwin, Kaitlin Weiss, and Andrew Grogan represented the United States in this matter and related forfeiture action. This civil settlement agreement is not an admission of any liability by Dr. Hammad, nor a concession by the United States that its claims were not well-founded.

Dr. Mustafa A. Hammad, a neurologist and pain management physician, agreed to a consent judgment and settlement agreement to resolve a pending lawsuit filed by the United States pursuant to the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-panama-city-doctor-agrees-550000-consent-judgment-resolve-fca-and-csa-lawsuit