From Aug. 27, 2019, to Oct. 3, 2022, Basem Hamid, MD, a neurologist and pain medicine physician, billed Medicare for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes that were never performed, according to a Dec. 9 news release from the Justice Department.
According to the release, patients instead received devices used for electroacupuncture — which involved inserting monofilament wire into patients’ ears and taping the neurostimulator with an adhesive. All device placements took place in Dr. Hamid’s clinic, not a hospital or ASC, and no incision was made.
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