An Orange County-based provider of medical scans has agreed to pay $8.3 million plus additional money based on future revenue to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it violated federal law by paying referring cardiologists excessive fees to supervise positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
Modern Nuclear Inc. (MNI), a La Habra-based mobile PET scan company, agreed to pay a total of $8,334,350.
“Paying illegal kickbacks to doctors so they refer patients undermines the integrity of federal health care programs and needlessly increases costs,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Patients deserve care based on their medical need and not on a doctor or company’s financial interest. Our office will continue to bring such cases to hold wrongdoers accountable.”
“We will diligently pursue and hold accountable healthcare providers that seek patient referrals through illegal kickbacks and other unlawful financial inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “By rooting out financial relationships between healthcare providers and referring physicians that corrupt the medical decision-making process, we will continue to protect and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
According to the Justice Department, from September 2016 to January 2025, MNI knowingly submitted false or fraudulent claims to federal health care programs arising from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Specifically, MNI...
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