Houston-based National Interventional Radiology Partners and its radiologist CEO have agreed to pay $8.8 million to resolve allegations of kickbacks and False Claims Act violations, according to an Aug. 20 Justice Department news release.
The settlement claims that the group and CEO Andrew Gomes, MD, illegally paid physicians for referrals to peripheral arterial disease clinics. Dr. Gomes established a number of these clinics throughout Texas beginning in 2015 and raised capital from physicians who had medical practices with a strong patient base for Medicare referrals. Dr. Gomes told investor physicians they could ensure high returns on their investment in each surgical center by referring significant numbers of patients — and he would funnel monthly dividends back to physicians, according to the release.
The whistleblower lawsuit was filed in 2018, and the settlement payment resolves all allegations.