RALEIGH, N.C. – Fayetteville, North Carolina cardiologist Dr. Hari Saini and his current practice, Carolina Heart and Leg Center, P.A., agreed to pay $5,015,554 to the United States and North Carolina to resolve allegedly false Medicare and Medicaid claims.
“This civil fraud settlement demonstrates our steadfast commitment to protect taxpayer money and guard the integrity of our vital health care programs,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Medical doctors should never bill for unnecessary procedures. Those who do will be held accountable. Our office will zealously pursue damages and civil penalties against medical professionals where warranted.”
This settlement arose from whistleblower allegations that Dr. Saini and his cardiology practice performed unnecessary atherectomy procedures to remove minor plaque blockage in leg arteries in patients. The United States filed a complaint against Dr. Saini, Carolina Heart and Leg Center, and Carolina Cape Fear Medical Group, alleging that Defendants “systematically overstated the stenosis percentage” to justify medically unnecessary atherectomies for the maximum number of procedures for their patients. More specifically, the Government alleged that Dr. Saini—who was one of the highest billing cardiologists in North Carolina for this type of claim—conducted “risky and invasive atherectomy procedures to unnecessarily remove plaque blockage that was, at best, only minimally present, all in blatant disregard for patient safety and...
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