Three N.J. Cardiologists Settle Charges They Received Kickbacks for Referrals
November 10, 2009 by Beckers ASC Review
Filed under Becker's ASC Review, Industry Updates
Rakesh Sahni, MD, of Rumson, N.J., Ravindra Patel, MD, of Scotch Plains, N.J., and Jasjit Walia, MD, of Edison, N.J., settled civil lawsuits by federal prosecutors, alleging that the physicians accepted kickbacks to refer cardiology patients to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, according to a report in The Asbury Park Press.
The three cardiologists were charged with receiving salaries from UMDNJ in exchange for “improperly” referring patients, according to the report. UMDNJ then charged Medicare for services that resulted from these referrals. Authorities from the federal government claim these salaries were only used as kickbacks for these referrals, which say stem from UMDNJ’s accreditation and funding that are dependent on the number of cardiac procedures the hospital performs.
Dr. Sahni agreed to pay $360,000 to settle the case against him, and Dr. Patel and Dr. Walia each agreed to pay $300,000, according to the report. The government has settled similar suits with six other cardiologists over the past year.
Read the report about the alleged New Jersey cardiologist kickback scheme.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
 |
A post by "Becker's ASC Editor" http://www.beckersasc.com Becker's ASC Review is a bimonthly publication that offers general business, legal and clinical guidance on topics including joint-ventures, development and expansion, and regulatory and compliance issues. |
