Whistleblower News From The Inside -- January 4, 2018

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Maryland doctor settles FCA suit for $1.2M — Dr. Jui Chih Hsu has settled allegations that she gave patients medically unnecessary vitamin B12 injections, and billed them as Thiamine injections. Dr. Hsu administered the injections as a treatment for chronic fatigue, a condition where Medicare does not permit reimbursement for B12 injections. USAO Maryland

Maryland doctor settles FCA suit for $1M — Dr. Nwaehihie Onyeaghala has settled allegations that he performed unnecessary nervous system tests and then billed Medicare for them. Additionally, in several instances, Dr. Onyeaghala lacked the equipment to properly conduct the test, but billed Medicare regardless. This case, and the settlement noted above, are a result of the USAO Maryland’s initiative to review Medicare billing data to spot irregularities and detect potential patterns of fraud. USAO Maryland

New study finds extreme variance in healthcare costs — The Minnesota Department of Health study found the cost for a knee replacement at a Minnesota hospital ranged from $6,186 to $46,974, and the cost for a C-section ranged from $4,693 to $22,831. The results of the study have renewed calls for increased healthcare price transparency. Minnesota Department of Health