Robert Burkich, M.D., based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and his practice Preventive Medicine Anti-Aging & Chelation, Inc. in Ringgold, Georgia, have reached a settlement regarding allegations of submitting false claims to Medicare for unnecessary chelation therapy. The case was resolved under the False Claims Act.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. stated that "by falsely certifying that services provided to patients are medically necessary," healthcare providers misuse resources meant for those genuinely in need of care. He emphasized the ongoing efforts to identify and address fraud against Medicare.
Kelly J. Blackmon from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) highlighted that "providers who knowingly submit unreasonable and medically unnecessary claims prioritize personal profits over their duty to patients." She reiterated HHS-OIG's commitment to investigating fraudulent billing practices.
Paul Brown from FBI Atlanta assured that federally-funded healthcare programs should be guided by clinical needs rather than financial motives: "The FBI and our partners are committed to combining resources to investigate and hold providers accountable."
The United States alleged that Dr. Burkich billed Medicare for using edetate calcium disodium (EDTA), a drug indicated only for lead poisoning cases, on patients not suffering from such conditions between September 2009 and January 2017. It was claimed he misrepresented patient conditions to bypass Medicare restrictions.
A lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia against Dr. Burkich under the False Claims Act for allegedly submitting false claims for government payment.
Under the Department of Justice’s ability-to-pay guidelines, Dr. Burkich will pay $700,000 as restitution to Medicare after undergoing a financial analysis confirming his inability to pay a merits-based settlement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paris Wynn handled this matter legally.
It is important to note that these are allegations only with no determination of liability made yet.
For more information, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280 or visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.