Ajay Aggarwal, MD, an anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician, has agreed to pay $2 million to resolve allegations that he submitted false claims to government healthcare programs for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes.
Dr. Aggarwal practices in Bellare, Lake Jackson and Van Vleck, Texas, according to an Aug. 11 news release from the Department of Justice. He practiced through entities Ajay Aggarwal, a sole proprietorship, and PRWCSWTX — both known as the Pain Relief & Wellness Center.
Between Nov. 16, 2021, and March 28, 2023, Dr. Aggarwal allegedly billed Medicare and the Department of Labor’s Workers’ Compensation Programs for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. However, neither Dr. Aggarwal nor his staff ever performed these procedures, which are typically invasive and require an operating room, according to the release.
Rather, Dr. Aggarwal gave patients devices used for electro-acupuncture, which only required inserting monofilament wire a few millimeters into patients’ ears and taping the neurostimulator behind the ear with an adhesive. These device placements were performed in Dr. Aggarwal’s clinic, not in a hospital or surgery center, and no incisions were made on patients, according to the release.
