Richmond, Va. — National Spine and Pain Centers (NSPC) and Physical Medicine Associates (PMA), two pain management clinics in northern Virginia, have agreed to pay approximately $3.3 million to settle civil fraud allegations involving Medicare billing practices.
The settlement stems from charges that NSPC and PMA billed Medicare for services performed by physician assistants and nurse practitioners as if they were provided by physicians. The clinics also faced accusations of submitting fraudulent claims for urine drug tests, in violation of the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute, and ordering unnecessary urine drug tests.
The qui tam lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia by a former PMA physician assistant under the False Claims Act. Under this act, relators are entitled to 15 to 25 percent of the settlement amount if they significantly contributed to the recovery.
The investigation and resolution were a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McIntosh led the investigation into the civil claims, which are solely allegations; no determination of civil liability has been made in this case.
A full copy of the press release can be accessed on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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