Wichita, Kan.-based Via Christi Health improperly billed Medicare for unnecessary cardiac procedures and tests, a recently unsealed whistle-blower lawsuit obtained by KCUR 89.3 alleges.
Mazen Shaheen, MD, a cardiologist who formerly practiced in the Wichita area, filed the lawsuit in November 2016. The lawsuit was unsealed after the Justice Department declined to intervene. The whistle-blower lawsuit, which seeks treble damages under the False Claims Act, will move forward in the case without the government.
Dr. Shaheen's lawsuit claims Via Christi runs a bonus program that incentivizes physicians to refer patients to its hospitals. The complaint alleges Via Christi improperly referred patients to Wichita-based Cardiovascular Consultants of Kansas and its employees Bassem Chehab, MD, and Jason Tauke, MD, who performed unnecessary tests and procedures on patients. The lawsuit claims the cardiologists performed multiple echocardiograms and catheterizations on a single patient and placed stents in patients' arteries when unnecessary, according to KCUR 89.3.
In an emailed statement to Becker's Hospital Review's, Via Christi Health said it "just learned of the filing of this lawsuit. Should this litigation proceed, we intend to vigorously defend the matter, as we are not aware of any merit to the potential allegations."
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Editor's note: This article was updated Jan. 26 at 11:19 a.m. CT to include a statement from Via Christi Health.
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