Michigan cardiologist pays US government $2M for ‘exploitative and improper' ordering practices
A Michigan cardiologist has paid $2 million to resolve allegations that his practice billed the U.S. government for unnecessary diagnostic tests.
Dinesh M. Shah, MD, is the sole owner of Michigan Physicians Group (MPG), a multispecialty clinic with locations in the cities of Berkley and Livonia. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Shah and MPG billed multiple government programs for services that were either excessive or never even performed.
Services involved in the allegations include ankle-brachial index and toe-brachial index tests, which were “routinely performed on patients without first being ordered by a physician and without regard to medical necessity.” Shah was also ordering and performing unnecessary nuclear stress tests.
“Subjecting patients to unnecessary testing in order to fill one’s pockets with taxpayer funds will not be tolerated,” Saima Mohsin, acting U.S. attorney, said in a prepared statement. “Such practices are particularly concerning because overuse of some tests can be harmful to patients. With these lawsuits and the accompanying resolution, Dr. Shah and Michigan Physicians Group are being held to account for these exploitative and improper past practices.”
The Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Defense Health Agency and State of Michigan Attorney General’s Office all worked together on the investigation.
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.