The Estate of Dr. Patrick T. Hunter has paid the United States $1.75 million to resolve allegations that Dr. Hunter violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for kidney stone procedures that were not medically justified and for engaging in an illegal kickback arrangement. Dr. Hunter passed away in March 2019. The settlement relates to Dr. Hunter’s submission of claims for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a procedure used to break up kidney stones. According to the settlement agreement, between January 2010 and April of 2016, Dr. Hunter performed lithotripsy procedures on Medicare and TRICARE patients that were medically unnecessary because the procedures were not medically indicated or because there were no kidney stones in those patients. The settlement agreement also resolves allegations that Dr. Hunter engaged in an illegal kickback arrangement with the Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery, LP, where he performed the lithotripsy procedures. Dr. Hunter and the Orlando Center allegedly entered into an illegal kickback arrangement where Dr. Hunter agreed to perform his lithotripsy procedures at the Orlando Center in exchange for payments from the Orlando Center, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. These procedures were then billed to and paid by Medicare and TRICARE in violation of the False Claims Act.
