U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber | U.S. Department of Justice
Dr. Scott Saffold, a Virginia Beach physician, and his practice Chesapeake Bay ENT, P.C., have agreed to a $625,000 settlement over allegations of false billing to government healthcare programs. The claims involved the unnecessary billing for balloon sinus dilations and endoscopies that were not performed as coded.
The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia accused Dr. Saffold and Chesapeake Bay of conducting these procedures without medical necessity and staging them to increase reimbursements. The lawsuit was initiated under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, allowing individuals to file complaints under seal in U.S. District Court.
This resolution resulted from collaboration between several entities including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Virginia's Office of the Attorney General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Wuerker along with Senior Assistant Attorney General Kristin Gray and Assistant Attorney General Airen Adamonis from the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit managed this case.
It is important to note that these civil claims are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
