A publicly traded radiology provider has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle allegations that it fraudulently administered hundreds of imaging exams without doc supervision.
While typically performed by a technologist, Medicare requires a physician’s physical presence for certain scans. However, Akumin Corp. and its affiliate Delaware Open MRI Radiology Associates allegedly administered more than 1,500 exams there and in Texas over a two-year period either without supervision or proof of such oversight.
After getting hit with a whistleblower lawsuit and subsequent investigation, the company has agreed to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act, the Department of Justice announced Monday.
“The regulations that apply to Medicare procedures are designed to ensure patient safety and to protect the integrity of the Medicare program,” David Weiss, U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware, said Feb. 1. “When providers fail to comply with Medicare regulations and properly document their compliance, they undermine both the quality of patient care and the effectiveness of the program.”
Trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AKU, Akumin operates more than 125 outpatient imaging centers across Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas and Georgia. In its own statement, the Plantation, Florida, firm emphasized that the settlement does not “constitute a finding of improper conduct, or a failure to provide appropriate care.” Officials also noted that the feds are not modifying Akumin’s corporate integrity agreement in Texas, which runs through mid-2021.
“The company denies the allegations raised in this matter and is pleased to have resolved this matter to avoid future distractions and the high costs of litigation, while ensuring that our focus remains steadfast on providing care to our patients,” Akumin said Tuesday.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.