The settlement claims that the group and CEO Andrew Gomes, MD, illegally paid physicians for referrals to peripheral arterial disease clinics. Dr. Gomes established a number of these clinics throughout Texas beginning in 2015 and raised capital from physicians who had medical practices with a strong patient base for Medicare referrals. Dr. Gomes told investor physicians they could ensure high returns on their investment in each surgical center by referring significant numbers of patients — and he would funnel monthly dividends back to physicians, according to the release.
The whistleblower lawsuit was filed in 2018, and the settlement payment resolves all allegations.