A New York cardiologist agreed to pay $6.5 million and relinquish his practice to settle allegations he paid millions of dollars in kickbacks for patient referrals.
Klaus Rentrop, MD, owned and operated New York City-based Gramercy Cardiac, according to a Sept. 18 Justice Department news release. From 2010 to 2021, Dr. Rentrop allegedly entered into office space rental agreements, often in excess of fair market value, with physicians and their medical practice in order to induce them to refer patients to Gramercy-contracted cardiologists who saw patients at the rented office space.
Dr. Rentrop has agreed to relinquish ownership and control of the practice by the end of the calendar year, according to the release. Gramercy previously operated four locations in the city. He will pay the U.S. government a portion of the proceeds of any sale of the practice.