Here are five recent lawsuits involving physicians.
Chief Medical Director of Broward Health's Heart Center for Excellence Michael Chizner, MD, was nearly dismissed after not accepting changes to his 10-year contract that cut his salary significantly — from $1.2 million to $867,200 annually — and requiring him to provide care for patients regardless of their ability to pay. However, he did sign a new agreement. The contract was in response to a federal investigation on improper business relationships between Broward Health and physicians, including Dr. Chizner.
Southfield, Mich.-based Vicha Janviriya, MD, pled guilty to making fraudulent referrals for home healthcare as part of a $1.3 million Medicare fraud scheme. Dr. Janviriya admitted to falsifying medical documentation and falsely certifying Medicare beneficiaries from 2006 to 2012.
Cardiologist Narasimhulu Neelagaru, MD, and Banks Jackson Commerce (Ga.) Medical Center agreed to pay more than $500,000 to resolve Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law violations. The qui-tam lawsuit alleged BJC made improper payments to Dr. Neelagaru by compensating him in excess of fair market values from 2000 to 2009 for patient referrals. Dr. Neelagaru settled to pay $200,000; BJC agreed to pay the government $329,000.
Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Health System fired gynecologist Nikita Levy, MD, after he allegedly used a pen-like camera around his neck to photograph patients. A judge recently finalized a $190 million settlement between Johns Hopkins and 8,000 patients who Dr. Levy allegedly taped during examinations. The photographs were taken without patients' knowledge and include more than 60 images of minors.
There were complaints filed against Aria Sabit, MD, a Michigan-based neurosurgeon and Reliance Medical Systems, a physician-owned distributorship. Two physicians raised allegations against Dr. Sabit in qui tam lawsuits, and the government joined as well as filed a separate lawsuit containing kickback allegations. The lawsuit alleges Dr. Sabit performed unnecessary or excessive surgeries to patients who didn't need implants.