Becker's reported on two developments on federal cases involving spine and orthopedics.
1. Lags Spine & Sportscare Medical Centers and its owner, Francis Lagattuta, MD, have agreed to pay $11.4 million to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims related to spine surgeries, skin biopsies and drug tests. The settlement resolves allegations that from 2018 to 2021, the practice allegedly performed medically unecessary spinal cord stimulator surgeries, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California said July 11.
2. David Payne, MD, was sentenced to 33 months in prison after he was found guilty of accepting bribes for performing surgeries at the now-defunct Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, Calif. Along with his sentence, Dr. Payne will have to pay $20,000 in fines and forfeit $316,597. according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District of California said July 14.