Emad Bishai, MD, a pain management physician in The Woodlands, Texas, agreed to pay half a million dollars to resolve allegations he made false statements in a Paycheck Protection Program loan application and submitted false claims, according to the Justice Department.
Four notes:
1. The federal government accused Dr. Bishai of billing Medicare and Tricare for neurostimulator electrodes implantations from July 2017 to May 2019. His patients reportedly received electro-acupuncture devices to insert in their ears, however, and no surgical procedures were performed.
2. As part of the settlement, Dr. Bishai and his practice, Woodlands (Texas) Pain Institute, were banned from federal healthcare programs for seven years.
3. The federal government also accused Dr. Bishai of falsely reporting on his application for a PPP loan that he was not facing criminal charges. At the time, he was facing charges related to his opioid prescription practices and should not have received the loan.
4. Dr. Bishai agreed to pay $523,331 to settle both allegations.