Florida cardiologist pays $6.75M to resolve fraud allegations
An Orlando cardiologist has paid $6.75 million to resolve allegations that he knowingly performed medically unnecessary procedures over a seven-year span.
Ashish Pal, MD, of Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Consultants, allegedly submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for unnecessary ablations and stent procedures from 2013 to 2019. He was also accused of making significant misrepresentations on patient medical records to justify his actions, lying about patient symptoms and even recording false measurements.
In addition to the $6.75 million payment, Pal and his practice also entered into a “multi-year integrity agreement” that includes specific training and reporting requirements. Failing to meet the standards of that agreement can potentially result in being excluded from federal healthcare programs.
“Physicians are expected to perform procedures only when they have a legitimate medical basis to do so,” Brian M. Boynton, acting assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil division, said in a prepared statement. “The department will pursue those who waste taxpayer funds and subject patients to unwarranted medical care.”
“When physicians enrich themselves by performing medically unnecessary procedures on Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, they threaten their patients’ health and divert taxpayer funds meant to pay for necessary care,” added Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the HHS Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work hard with our law enforcement partners to ensure that health care providers who engage in such abusive behavior are held accountable.”
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.