A cardiologist was left to pay around 7 million dollars to resolve the accusations against him for performing “fraudulent” medical procedures such as ablations and placement of intravenous devices on patients who did not require them, revealed the Prosecutor’s Office.
The doctor identified as Ashish Pal, based in Orlando, has paid approximately $ 6.75 million to resolve accusations for violating the False Claims Law, indicated the public ministry through a statement, according to EFE.
Between 2013 and 2019, Pal submitted false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs for “medically unnecessary ablations and intravenous procedures,” the brief says.
The report also added that the doctor made misrepresentations in the patients’ medical records to justify said procedures, including exaggeration in the degree of reflux, diameter of veins and false documentation of symptoms in patients.
For its part, the federal government maintained that the cardiologist performed ablations and endoprosthesis procedures (a tiny tube that is inserted through the veins) that did not qualify for the treatment, according to the standards of medical practice.
“When doctors get rich performing medically unnecessary procedures on Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, they threaten the health of their patients and divert taxpayer funds destined to pay for necessary care,” said Omar Pérez Aybar, member of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the country.
Karin Hoppmann, acting federal prosecutor for the Middle District of Florida, stressed that her identity is “committed” to protecting patients who are vulnerable to those who put their “profits” above.
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