A group of Newnan, Georgia based orthopedic and anesthesia providers agreed to pay the federal government $3.2 million to settle allegations they were involved in a False Claims Act kickback scheme.
According to the government, Georgia Bone & Joint (GBJ), Southern Bone & Joint a/k/a Summit Orthopaedic Surgery Center (Summit Surgery Center), Southern Crescent Anesthesiology, PC (SCA), Sentry Anesthesia Management, LLC (Sentry), and David LaGuardia (LaGuardia) agreed to pay $3.2 million to settle allegations that LaGuardia, Sentry, and SCA provided a free medical director to Summit Surgery Center in order to induce it to choose to perform more procedures at the surgery center rather than in the GBJ office; and that GBJ and LaGuardia caused the submission of false claims to Medicare for prescription drugs purchased outside of the United States and not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Kickbacks should never play a role in medical decision-making,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “It is critical to our health care system that patients seeking health care know that their providers’ recommendations are based on what is in the patient’s best interests and not influenced by illegal kickbacks or arrangements.”
The whistleblowers, Sharon Kopko, a former Practice Administrator for SBJ, share of the settlement will receive a share of the settlement.
