‘Unstoppable’ radiologist keeps practicing despite millions in fines, mounting investigations
A new report from ProPublica details the odyssey of what they’ve dubbed an “unstoppable” radiologist who continues to practice medicine despite millions in fines and mounting government investigations.
James McGuckin, MD, most recently made the news in May when the Department of Justice filed suit against the Pennsylvania physician and his affiliated practices. He allegedly submitted more than 500 false claims to Medicare totaling at least $6.5 million between 2016 and 2019 for unnecessary vascular procedures. Those included angioplasty, atherectomy, placement of stents and “indiscriminate use” of intravenous ultrasound.
ProPublica spoke with some of the patients impacted by his work and explored how McGuckin was able to continue practicing despite a “decadelong string” of sanctions, fines and lawsuits.
As chronicled by the DOJ, he was first sanctioned by the Washington Medical Quality Insurance Commission in 2015. Several other state medical boards and Medicaid programs later did the same, including in Pennsylvania. The radiologist reportedly performed services such as angioplasty and stenting on “hundreds” of individuals for purported treatment of multiple sclerosis, “a nonvascular disease,” authorities said.
Then in 2018, the radiologist signed a False Claims Act settlement as owner of Vascular Access Centers and any related entities, agreeing to pay “at least” $3.825 million. Under the agreement, McGuckin admitted his businesses performed and billed for vascular procedures “even though the patients presented without any documented evidence that they exhibited a need for therapies.” The following year, Vascular Access Centers filed for bankruptcy, a move Judge Ashely M. Chan believed was “orchestrated in bad faith.”
ProPublica noted a potential regulatory blind spot in the delivery of vascular medicine services. Their investigation uncovered a pattern of “excessive and unnecessary” treatments in outpatient facilities, handled by a dozen physicians or companies accused of making false claims. State medical boards may face challenges in addressing bad actors. In McGuckin’s home state of Pennsylvania, the board oversaw more than 75,000 healthcare workers in 2021, operating on a budget of just $1.2 million.
The radiologist’s attorney defended McGuckin against the allegations, labeling him a “very good, skilled surgeon who has helped thousands of patients.”
“Any effort to portray Dr. McGuckin as some ‘greedy’ or ‘bad’ doctor would be completely false and defamatory,” David Heim told the publication.
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.