The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that Asante Health System, a southern Oregon healthcare corporation, and one of its physicians, have agreed to pay $430,000 to settle allegations that the company and its physician knowingly submitted false claims for payment for certain cardiothoracic surgeries to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. Between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2021, Asante and Dr. Charles Carmeci, a cardiothoracic surgeon practicing at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, knowingly submitted claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for cardiothoracic surgeries including decortications, PleurX catheter placements, pericardiectomies, mediastinal mass resections, patent foramen ovale, atrial septal defect closures, and Bentall procedures, knowing they did not meet the criteria for reimbursement or were otherwise improper.
