Two Fresno doctors have agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement over alleged kickbacks.
The doctors were accused of soliciting and receiving unlawful kickbacks in exchange for directing prescriptions to a group of mail-order pharmacies.
The big picture: Fresno podiatrist Jagpreet Mukker and Fresno pain medicine specialist Amitabh Goswami have agreed to pay $2.4 million to resolve the kickback allegations.
- Mukker and his medical corporation, Jay Mukker, DPM Inc., will pay nearly $1.6 million to the federal government.
- Goswami and his medical corporation, California Pain Consultants, will pay $835,0900 to the federal government for allegedly violating the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act as part of the same scheme with Mukker.
Go deeper: Mukker admitted to accepting payments from 2016 to 2020 for issuing prescriptions to mail-order pharmacies controlled by Matthew Peters.
- Mukker received the payouts in connection with investments in “management service organizations” created by Peters.
- He received up to $117,400 per year in kickbacks as a “reward for scripts” that he sent to Peters’ pharmacies.
- Peters awarded Mukker with more investment opportunities based on the number and value of prescriptions that were referred to him.
- Further, there were separate allegations that Mukker submitted false claims for peripheral venous studies that he knew were not covered by Medicare. He submitted those claims to Medicare from January 2017 to November 2023.
What we’re watching: The federal government has also filed a lawsuit against Peters and some of his related pharmacies, management service organizations and other entities over alleged violations of the False Claims Act for the kickback scheme.
What they’re saying: “The payment of kickbacks corrupts medical decision-making and increases the cost of health care,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert. “We will hold accountable those who pay or receive such kickbacks, ensuring they do not profit at the expense of American taxpayers and patients.”
