A Florida radiology practice has agreed to pay $501,000 to settle allegations that it delivered contrast imaging exams without the required physician supervision.
Advanced Imaging of Port Charlotte also allegedly billed Medicare and TriCare for services performed by doctors who lacked the proper credentials, the Department of Justice announced Friday. The center has not admitted liability in the matter but has agreed to cut a check to settle the False Claims Act violation.
“We will continue to hold healthcare providers accountable when they provide services by individuals who are not credentialed, licensed or appropriately supervised,” United States Attorney Chapa Lopez said in a Sept. 25 statement.
Advanced Imaging and the DOJ reached the civil settlement following an investigation led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sullivan, working in tandem with several agencies. DOJ officials announced a similar agreement Sept. 9 with a Southern California radiology practice that also allegedly delivered contrast imaging without physician supervision.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.