A Chicago-based podiatry practice and its owner have been named in a joint federal and state civil complaint alleging they submitted more than $5.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid by billing under other physicians’ names after the practice owner was terminated from the Medicaid program, the Justice Department said in an Aug. 18 news release.
Vadim Goshko, DPM, owner of Foot & Ankle Health Care Center and European Foot & Ankle Surgical Care, allegedly continued performing podiatry services after being excluded from Illinois Medicaid and submitted claims listing other physicians as the treating providers to conceal his exclusion. Dr. Goshko and his co-defendants also allegedly failed to notify Medicare of his Medicaid exclusion, as required. Medicare eventually revoked his billing privileges after learning of the exclusion on its own.
The case was initiated through a whistleblower complaint filed by PayrHealth, a billing company that acquired Dr. Goshko’s billing operations in December 2020, discovered the fraudulent conduct and reported it to the government. All claims are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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