Oklahoma cardiologist and his clinic pay $270K to settle whistleblower lawsuit
A cardiology clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the cardiologist who owns it have agreed to pay $270,000 to settle allegations of submitting false claims to both Medicare and TRICARE. U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester of the Western District of Oklahoma confirmed the news in an official statement from the Department of Justice.
The U.S. government alleges that Stewart Katz, MD, and Cardiovascular Specialists submitted or helped submit reimbursement claims for evaluation and management (E&M) services under Katz’s personal National Provider Identification number—even though Katz did not perform the services or even supervise as they were performed. The alleged scheme lasted from January 2016 to February 2020.
Officials also allege that Cardiovascular Specialists and Katz submitted or helped submit claims for E&M services that “should have been billed at a lower reimbursement level” from January 2015 to June 2022.
These false claims allegations all stem from a whistleblower lawsuit filed in Oklahoma City by a former employee of Cardiovascular Specialists. That individual will now receive some of $270,000 being paid to the U.S. government.
Under the terms of this settlement, Cardiovascular Specialists and Katz have not admitted guilt. The allegations are now dismissed, and there will be no additional litigation.
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.