ROME, Ga. – A federal district judge has ordered Charles Adams M.D. and his medical practice to pay more than $27 million for violating the False Claims Act (FCA). In June 2023, a federal jury in Rome found that the defendants violated the FCA by submitting false claims to Medicare for chelation therapy reimbursements. Chelation therapy involves the use of drugs to remove heavy metals from the body. The jury found that Medicare reimbursed the defendants more than $1.1 million for these unnecessary treatments. In a post-trial ruling, the federal district judge added penalties to the jury’s verdict, bringing the total amount owed to more than $27 million.
“The Court’s judgment emphasizes the serious consequences that face healthcare providers who submit false claims to Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “On behalf of those healthcare providers who faithfully bill for medical procedures, and for their patients who rely on the safety net of Medicare, our office will continue to work vigorously with our federal agencies and law enforcement partners to pursue providers who engage in misconduct.”
“Physicians who fraudulently submit unreasonable, medically unnecessary claims put their personal profits over their obligations to both federal health programs and their patients,” said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “With our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed...
Last week, the US jobless claims report stole the show as initial claims jumped to a new cycle high and the highest level since 2021. That triggered a more dovish repricing in interest rates expec...