According to the DOJ’s assessment, Dr. Obedian allegedly submitted improper claims to Medicare in violation of the False Claims Act for kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that treats spine fractures. He allegedly billed for higher Medicare reimbursements by using incorrect billing codes for more complicated surgeries instead of using the specific billing code for kyphoplasty.
Under the settlement, Dr. Obedian admits no liability.
The DOJ has aggressively pursued healthcare providers and kyphoplasty billing. In July, 55 hospitals across 21 states agreed to pay more than $34 million to resolved alleged false claims to Medicare for kyphoplasty.
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Hospitalist Firm to Pay $14.5M for Allegedly Inflated Medicare Claims
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