Aarti Pandya, who is part of the Pandya Group of health services, has confessed to conducting unnecessary cataract surgeries and suggesting diagnostics that were irrelevant, violating US Healthcare rules for 6 years.
She has agreed to pay about $1,850,000 to resolve allegations that she billed the government for cataract surgeries and diagnostic tests.
Pandya Group was based out of Conyers, near Atlanta, Georgia. They have been accused under False Claims Act, where unnecessary tests and processes were prescribed that ultimately did not provide any service. Pandya prescribed cataract surgeries and laser capsulotomies between 2011 and 2016.
She is accused of causing injury in some instances, performing tests on broken machines and misinterpretation of reports. The prosecutors in her case said that she claimed bills from Medicare.
The present settlement follows whistle-blowing by Laura Dildine, who previously worked with Pandya Practice Group under qui tam or whistle-blowing provision of the False Claims Act. Once the federal government came into the picture, a payment suspension was imposed on Pandya Group.
However, post-settlement, the same has been lifted. Meanwhile, Pandya and Pandya Practice Group will have to undergo training so that similar cases do not happen in future.
