Orlando cardiologist pays $6.75m to resolve allegations

AN Indian American cardiologist in Orlando, Florida, has paid $6.75m to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by performing medically unnecessary ablations and vein stent procedures.

Dr Ashish Pal, knowingly submitted false claims to federal health care programs for medically unnecessary procedures from Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2019, the Justice Department has said.

The government alleged that Dr Pal performed these procedures which did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice.

He also made misrepresentations in patient medical records to justify the procedures, including overstating the degree of reflux and diameter of veins, and falsely documenting patient symptoms.

According to the department, in many instances, the ablations were performed either exclusively or primarily by one or more ultrasound technicians outside their scope of practice.

‘Physicians are expected to perform procedures only when they have a legitimate medical basis to do so,' said acting assistant Attorney General Brian M Boynton for Justice Department's Civil Division. ‘The department will pursue those who waste taxpayer funds and subject patients to unwarranted medical care.'

‘Our office is committed to protecting vulnerable patients from those who put financial gain ahead of patients' needs,' said acting US Attorney Karin Hoppmann of the Middle District of Florida. ‘We will continue to hold accountable those who abuse the nation's healthcare programs at the expense of the taxpayers.'