The Department of Justice announced today that it has intervened in two whistleblower cases alleging that Florida cardiologist Dr. Asad Qamar and the Institute for Cardiovascular Excellence PLLC, his physician group, billed Medicare for medically unnecessary procedures and paid kickbacks to patients:

The lawsuits allege that Qamar and ICE performed excessive and medically unnecessary peripheral artery interventional services and affiliated procedures on Medicare patients.  One of the lawsuits further alleges that Qamar induced patients to undergo those unnecessary procedures by routinely waiving the 20 percent Medicare copayment, regardless of the patients’ financial need.

“Physicians should make medical decisions on the basis of their patients’ needs,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III for the Middle District of Florida.  “Performing medically unnecessary procedures solely to line a physician’s pockets strains our nation’s health care system, and can also jeopardize the health and safety of patients.  Fighting Medicare and other health care fraud is one of our office’s most important priorities.”

Read the entire DOJ press release, “Government Intervenes in Lawsuit Against Florida Cardiologist Alleging Unnecessary Peripheral Artery Interventions and Payment of Kickbacks”