Adam Teichman, DPM, Thomas Rocchio, DPM, R T Equity Holdings LLC, and PA Foot & Ankle Associates LLC have agreed to pay $181,758 to resolve liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged improper billing of “Sanexas” devices. Drs. Teichman and Rocchio are podiatrists and co-owners of PA Foot & Ankle Associates LLC, with office locations in Allentown, Easton, Northampton, and Lansford, Pennsylvania. From approximately September 2019 through March 2021, PA Foot submitted over 7,000 claims for payment to Medicare involving application of an RST Sanexas neoGEN-Series device, often billed with accompanying vitamin injections under various procedure and injection codes.
PA Foot principally used Sanexas treatment for patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy. Patients at PA Foot received treatment on an outpatient basis and typically received two treatments per week for twelve weeks, for a total of 24 treatments. Treatment times generally lasted approximately 30 to 40 minutes. In conjunction with Sanexas treatment, PA Foot injected patients with a vitamin blend. The United States contends that Medicare did not permit reimbursement of Sanexas or vitamin injections used in conjunction with Sanexas in the way in which PA Foot administered them. The United States contends that vitamin injections used in conjunction with Sanexas treatment as PA Foot administered them do not fall under the limited coverage available for prescription drugs under Medicare Part B.
