A qui tam, or whistle-blower, complaint filed in 2014 and unsealed Tuesday alleges Norman (Okla.) Regional Health System, the system's former COO and six radiologists engaged in a fraudulent billing scheme, according to The Oklahoman.
The lawsuit was filed by Lance Garber, MD, a radiologist who formerly worked for Norman Regional Health System. In his complaint, Dr. Garber claims radiology practitioner assistants did not have required supervision of radiologists when performing medical procedures. Dr. Garber claims Medicare was billed for those services.
The lawsuit alleges Norman Regional Health System's former COO Greg Terrell was made aware of the issue as early as 2008 but failed to prevent or correct the fraudulent bills from being submitted.
In a statement to The Oklahoman, a spokesperson for the health system said, "Norman Regional Health System and its employees are dedicated to compliance with applicable laws, and will cooperate with the U.S. attorney's office to resolve the matter."
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