National Interventional Radiology Partners PLLC (NIRP) and its founder, Dr. Andrew Gomes, have agreed to pay nearly $9 million to resolve kickback allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Anti-Kickback Statute(AKS). NIRP and Dr. Gomes prioritized their profits over patient care by paying kickbacks for Medicare referrals. In 2018, a whistleblower exposed the misconduct, triggering the government investigation and settlement that finally put an end to this scheme.

NIRP and Dr. Gomes’s scheme began in 2015, when Dr. Gomes established a network of clinics across Texas to treat Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a condition that commonly affects the lower legs of elderly individuals due to plaque buildup in the arteries. The clinics provided the care, but the business model behind it was hardly compassionate to their patients’ overall well-being and existed solely to further enrich NIRP and Dr. Gomes.

According to the government’s allegations, Dr. Gomes raised capital for these clinics by soliciting investments from physicians who had access to a steady stream of Medicare patients—patients who would be referred to the clinics for highly compensated procedures like arteriograms, angiograms, angioplasties, and atherectomies. The more patients these physicians referred, the more surgeries were performed, and the higher the profits—profits that were funneled back to the physicians in the form of monthly dividends.

This type of financial arrangement, which incentivizes patient referrals for the sake of profit, is what the AKS seeks to prevent. As U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani stated, “Healthcare providers that pursue patient referrals through improper financial arrangements will be held accountable. These types of improper financial arrangements corrupt medical decision making, increase costs, and undermine the integrity of federally funded health programs. Patients deserve care based upon their specific medical needs and not on an individual physician’s financial interest or gain.”

The consequences of such unethical practices can be extensive. Not only do they waste taxpayer dollars and inflate healthcare costs, but they also erode the trust patients place in their healthcare providers. As Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG) said, “Medical providers and others who unlawfully accept kickbacks for patient referrals undermine the integrity of medical decision-making and waste taxpayer dollars.”

The whistleblower who brought this scheme to light played a pivotal role in holding NIRP and Dr. Gomes accountable. The whistleblower set in motion an investigation that ultimately led to this nearly $9 million settlement. For their efforts, the whistleblower will receive 19% of the recovery, amounting to $1,687,977.

Whistleblowers are critical in the fight against healthcare fraud, and you could be the next to make a difference. By coming forward with evidence of wrongdoing, you can help protect the healthcare system, ensuring that medical decisions are based on patient needs rather than financial gain. The combined protections and compensation afforded by the numerous whistleblower reward programs offer a safety net for those who expose illegal practices across many areas of fraud. As FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams noted, “We applaud the qui tam whistleblower who exposed this scheme and encourage others to report illegal medical practices.”

If you have information about potential kickback violations or healthcare fraud to and would like speak to an experienced Constantine Cannon whistleblower lawyer team member to report the fraud, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a free and confidential consultation.

Read Radiology Group and Founder to Pay $9M in Kickback Settlement Involving PAD Patients at constantinecannon.com