"Cardiology practices in the United States have repeatedly been accused
of defrauding government healthcare programs; this is yet one more
example of providers reaping profits while taxpayers foot the
bill."
NEW
YORK, Dec. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the
U.S. Department of Justice announced 16 False Claims Act
whistleblower settlements involving various groups of
cardiologists – spanning a dozen states – that
allegedly engaged in healthcare
fraud.
Similar allegations against hundreds of additional cardiologists
will proceed to litigation in an unprecedented qui tam
lawsuit filed by two whistleblowers under the False Claims Act
(FCA).
The lawsuit alleges that the cardiologists
blatantly overcharged the government for radiopharmaceuticals used
in common cardiology diagnostic testing. The whistleblowers are
represented by Dan Miller,
Jonathan DeSantis and Samuel Rogers from Walden Macht Haran &
Williams and Henry Furst from
the Law Office of Henry Furst.
"Cardiology practices in the United
States have repeatedly been accused of defrauding government
healthcare programs; this is yet one more example of providers
reaping profits while taxpayers foot the bill. Now, with these
settlements, taxpayers will recoup some of their lost money.
Meanwhile, other cardiology practices that may be engaged in
similar behavior will be deterred from continuing their illegal
activities," said Dan Miller,
a partner at Walden Macht Haran & Williams LLP (WMHW) who
represents the whistleblowers. "Whistleblowers are the key to
maintaining the financial viability of government healthcare
programs, so any providers or their employees who witness illegal
behavior should strongly consider speaking up and taking
action."
The lawsuit alleges that the cardiologists engaged
in Medicare fraud. Cardiologists use
radiopharmaceuticals to perform nuclear stress testing. In
the Medicare jurisdictions relevant to the case, healthcare
providers are required to bill Medicare for radiopharmaceuticals
based on their purchasing cost. The lawsuit contends that the
cardiologists submitted reimbursement claims to Medicare for
amounts that greatly exceed their purchasing costs, leading to
millions of dollars in overpayments.
The settling defendants will pay a combined total of
$17,761,564. The qui tam
whistleblowers represented by WMHW – two cardiologists who observed
the overbilling and brought it to the attention of the government –
will receive more than $2.7 million
from the settlements announced today. The case against the several
hundred defendants also named in the lawsuit will proceed to
litigation.
The case is United States ex
rel. Walia v. Aaron et al. (D.D.C), No. 18-cv-00510-RJL, in
the United States District Court
for the District of Columbia. The
claims alleged in the lawsuit are allegations only,
and there has been no determination of liability.
The Walden Macht Haran & Williams whistleblower practice
group is one of the most successful qui tam groups in the country.
Led by former prosecutor Dan Miller
and Jonathan DeSantis, attorneys in
the group have worked on cases that have returned more than
$3 billion to state and federal
treasuries across the country, including more than a dozen cases
that were initially declined by the government.
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SOURCE Walden Macht Haran & Williams LLP
