Between February 2018 and April 2019, Vishal Patel, MD, referred patients for more than 1,750 orthotic devices without any medical justification or patient relationships, according to a Sept. 11 news release from the Justice Department.
Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program paid an average of more than $400 for each device, which included wrist, shoulder, knee, ankle and back braces.
Dr. Patel received the patient charts from RediDoc, a telemedicine company based in Phoenix. In May 2022, RediDoc pleaded guilty to a $64 million healthcare fraud conspiracy, according to the Justice Department.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations, and there is no determination of liability, the release said.
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