Phoenix-based Tri-City Cardiology and three physicians have agreed to pay $4.75 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by performing medically unnecessary vein ablations, the Justice Department said in a March 12 news release.
The settlement resolves allegations that Jaskamal Kahlon, MD, Joshua Cohen, MD, and M. Joshua Berkowitz, MD, knowingly performed ablations on perforator veins that did not qualify for treatment under accepted medical standards between Jan. 1, 2017, and April 27, 2022.
Federal authorities alleged the physicians incorrectly measured or documented in medical records the duration of outward blood flow, vein diameter, patient symptoms and conservative therapy measures to make the procedures appear medically justified.
Tri-City told Becker’s in a statement that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and that the settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing.
“The settlement includes no contention of patient harm or patient complaints. Tri-City remains fully eligible to participate in Medicare and other federal health care programs, and the resolution does not impose ongoing federal monitoring or a Corporate Integrity Agreement,” the statement said. “After nearly three years of full cooperation, we made a business decision to resolve this matter to avoid the cost, distraction, and uncertainty of prolonged litigation so that our doctors and staff can remain focused on caring for patients.”
