A family medicine physician and his Takoma, Md.-based practice will pay $1.4 million to settle allegations that he submitted false claims, the Justice Department said in an Aug. 12 news release.
What happened?
- In his practice, Richard Akoto, MD, used a P-Stim device, which delivers electrical acupuncture externally behind a patient’s ear to treat pain symptoms, a service not reimbursable by Medicare.
- From January 17, 2019 to May 1, 2019, Dr. Akoto allegedly falsely billed Medicare using a code for an implantable neurostimulator device, a complex procedure typically performed surgically in an operating room.
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