SAN JOSE – Bay Area physician Dr. Roger Wang has agreed to pay $1,033,666.42 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by charging Medicare for non-FDA-approved drugs and associated services, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds; Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Steven J. Ryan; and Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office, Lisa L. Malinowski.
According to the settlement, viscosupplements, such as Synvisc, Synvisc One, and Orthovisc, are FDA-approved drugs injected for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. The United States has alleged that Wang, a rheumatology specialist practicing in San Francisco, purchased and injected into his patients versions of Synvisc, Synvisc One, or Orthovisc that were not approved by the FDA for distribution in the United States and therefore were not covered by Medicare, and billed Medicare for the drugs and injections. The settlement agreement resolves claims the United States might have brought based upon these allegations.
“When Medicare pays for drugs and services, the government expects doctors to follow the rules in place to protect patient safety,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds. “In this case, the rules require doctors seeking reimbursement from Medicare for injecting viscosupplements to use FDA-approved drugs. This office will hold...
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Education Association (IEA) is working to pass Senate Bill 2914 this session, a bill that would put an end to a long-time practice of school administrators keeping accus...