A Doraville, Georgia, eye doctor will pay $790,000 to the state Department of Community Health for allegedly billing state Medicaid for medically unnecessary procedures, Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said on Thursday.
Dr. Zheng Xiang Wang and his Wang Eye Clinic, P.C. allegedly billed the state for several procedures that were unnecessary such as: inserting tear duct plugs, photographing the inside of eyes and puncturing corneas. Additionally, Wang also allegedly overstated levels of service his office rendered to patients.
Medical providers receiving Medicaid payments are required to certify that procedures are necessary and to accurately describe the treatment given. It is against state law for medical providers to submit false claims to Medicaid. With each false claim, the state can recover up to triple the damages plus penalties ranging from $5,500 to $11,000.
“Performing unnecessary medical procedures is irresponsible and shortsighted,” Olens said. “Unnecessary procedures permanently impact a patient’s medical record, damage the trust the public has in its doctors and increase the costs of health care for everyone.”
Wang also accepted a voluntary exclusion agreement from all government health care programs, which includes Medicare and Medicaid for at least five years, Olens said.