Two Missouri physicians are facing a False Claims Act complaint regarding alleged improper billing using the RST-Sanexas neoGEN-series electric stimulation device, the Justice Department said in a March 12 news release.
The complaint targets St. Louis, Mo.-based chiropractor Michael Glickert, DC, emergency room physician Joseph Novof, MD, and their associated entities, The Vanguard Clinic and Fleur de Lis.
Federal healthcare programs do not reimburse for electrical nerve stimulation treatments furnished in outpatient clinics to treat pain, nor do they cover vitamin injections used in conjunction with such treatments. Despite this, Dr. Glickert allegedly helped develop and promote a nationwide billing scheme for Sanexas treatment and vitamin injections despite knowing the billing could be considered fraudulent. Dr. Novof allegedly falsely certified that vitamin injections were medically necessary despite not knowing the ingredients in those injections.
The case is part of a broader national investigation into electric stimulation device fraud. In December, Sanexas — a Las Vegas-based manufacturer and marketer of electric stimulation devices — and its principal owners, Richard Sorgnard, Lisa Sorgnard and Morhea Sorgnard, agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations of submitting false claims for electrical muscle stimulation, vitamin injections and other related services that were not medically necessary or were tainted by impermissible kickbacks.
