A Houston-area doctor and his diagnostic facilities have agreed to pay to resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations regarding the submission of claims to Medicare and Medicaid that were medically unnecessary and in violation of the Physician Self-Referral Law (aka Stark Law), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. From July 22, 2014, through July 10, 2017, Dr. Mohammad Athari, 80, Houston, and United Neurology P.A. allegedly engaged in a pattern and practice of falsely billing Medicare Part B. The claims were for services that were not reasonable or medically necessary because the patients’ diagnoses or medical records did not support them or unlicensed and untrained technicians had incorrectly or inadequately rendered them. This settlement also resolves allegations that from Jan. 7, 2014, through Jan. 8, 2021, Athari submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medicare by billing for diagnostic imaging procedures in violation of the Stark Law. Athari allegedly referred his neurology patients to diagnostic centers he owns (Universal MRI Baytown, Universal MRI Humble and Universal MRI Conroe) in violation of the Stark Law.
