An Austin acupuncturist must pay $2.3 million to the United States for inflating medical bills for veterans, the Department of Justice announced in a news release.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pittman ordered Dongxin Ma and his clinic, Ma Acupuncture Center PC, to pay the money under the False Claims Act.
The order enforces a mediated settlement that resolves allegations that Ma and the clinic submitted inflated bills to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for acupuncture services received by veterans under the VA’s Community Care program, the news release said.
The U.S. lawsuit alleges that Marr billed the VA for 60 minutes of private meetings with each veteran, but only met with each one for 15 minutes or less. The government’s complaint alleges that Marr billed for as many as 61 hours of private meetings with veterans in one day.
“Healthcare providers who treat our nation’s veterans are held to the highest standards,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said in a news release. “My office is committed to holding accountable health care providers who defraud the VA’s health care benefits program.”
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Parnham and Leanne Noble.
“This civil settlement is a testament to VA OIG’s commitment to protecting the integrity of VA’s health care programs and preserving taxpayer funds,” Special Agent in Charge Chris Raper of the VA Office of Inspector General’s South Central Field Office said in a news release. “VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work on this matter.”
