A Philadelphia-based neurosurgeon and his practice administrator agreed to settle false claims allegations related to billing for an electro-acupuncture device, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Five details:
1. Sagi Kuznits, MD, and the director of his Neurosurgical Care Pnina Kuznits practice are accused of billing Medicare, Tricare and other federal programs for implanting neurostimulators when the actual procedure was a nonsurgical application of Stivax and/or P-stim, which are electro-acupuncture devices.
2. The procedures were performed by a physician assistant, according to the Justice Department. The procedures did not require anesthesia and did not take place in an operating room, the Justice Department said.
3. The practice also billed for eVox, a memory-loss device, using a combination of six reimbursable codes to maximize reimbursement. Medicare does not reimburse for eVox as billed.
4. Dr. Kuznits and Pnina Kuznits agreed to pay $1 million to settle the false claim allegations.
5. Dr. Kuznits is suing the marketers of the P-Stim products, Doc Solutions.
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