Vascular and Interventional Specialists, LLC (VIS), Vascular and Spine Institute, Inc. (VSI), along with doctors Oscar Sosa and Osmany DeAngelo, have agreed to pay $810,301 to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act. The claims involve submitting bills for medically unnecessary percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA) to Medicare.
The United States government alleged that from 2015 to 2024, VIS, VSI, Sosa, and DeAngelo performed numerous PTAs without conducting diagnostic inquiries or making clinical diagnoses necessary to justify the procedures. They then submitted these claims to federal healthcare programs such as Medicare.
VIS operates as an endovascular surgery center in Miami specializing in vascular disease diagnosis and treatment. VSI billed federal healthcare programs for services provided by VIS and its practitioners. Drs. DeAngelo and Sosa performed medical services on behalf of VIS.
These allegations stemmed from a lawsuit filed by whistleblower Emilio Lopez, M.D., under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. This act allows private citizens to sue on behalf of the government over false claims and share in any recovery. Dr. Lopez is set to receive approximately $186,369 from this settlement.
The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office.
The investigation was conducted by HHS-OIG with Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Feeley handling the litigation.
Additional information related to this case can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or through their PACER system under case number 20-cv-22046.
