The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has lodged a complaint against the former president and co-owner of Cardiac Imaging Inc., via the U.S. District Court, under the False Claims Act (FCA). The Illinois company is known for providing mobile cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

In a press release issued by the DOJ, it was stated that Rick Nassenstien, the former president, allegedly played a significant role in Cardiac Imaging Inc.'s scheme to pay doctors fees above market value in exchange for referring patients to their company for cardiac PET scans. Such actions contravene the Physician Self-Referral Law, which forbids health care providers from billing Medicare for health services referred by a physician when an irregular monetary relationship exists.

The press release further explained that cardiac PET scans are medical tests utilized by doctors to evaluate heart function and assist in diagnosing cardiac disease. Cardiac Imaging Inc. performed these scans on a mobile basis and illicitly compensated cardiologists for providing supervision required under Medicare rules. Moreover, Cardiac Imaging Inc.'s fees also covered services beyond supervision that were not actually provided. Under the FCA, the United States can intervene and assume control of such cases with the potential to recover triple the amount of losses and impose additional penalties.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, who heads the DOJ's Civil Division, expressed his concerns over such practices: "Financial relationships between healthcare providers and referring physicians can undermine the objectivity of medical treatment decisions and increase the cost of care," he said. Boynton further emphasized that "the Justice Department will enforce provisions designed to prevent prohibited financial conflicts to ensure that taxpayers and patients can have confidence that decisions about patient care are driven by the medical needs of patients rather than the financial interests of physicians or providers."