United States Attorney David Metcalf announced on Mar. 16 the filing of a complaint under the False Claims Act in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, as part of an ongoing national investigation into improper billing practices involving the RST-Sanexas neoGEN-series electric stimulation device.
The announcement highlights continued efforts to address alleged fraudulent claims submitted to federal healthcare programs for treatments that are not reimbursable, such as electrical nerve stimulation and vitamin injections provided in outpatient clinics. These actions aim to recover millions lost through improper billing and deter similar schemes.
The complaint names Drs. Michael Glickert and Joseph Novof of St. Louis, Missouri, along with their clinic The Vanguard Clinic LLC and distributorship Fleur de Lis, LLC. According to the allegations, Glickert promoted Sanexas treatment and vitamin injections as reimbursable by Medicare despite knowing this could be considered fraudulent. Novof is accused of certifying vitamin injections as medically necessary without knowledge of their ingredients.
“Our office continues to lead the national charge to hold alleged fraudsters accountable for improper Sanexas billing,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will continue working closely with our partners at CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Justice Department’s Civil Division, and sister U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to pursue any other providers who inappropriately billed for these devices and caused false claims to be submitted.”
The investigation is a collaborative effort involving multiple federal agencies including the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Center for Program Integrity, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, other federal healthcare programs, state partners, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide.
Cases in this district have been investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Wolfish and Civil Chief Gregory B. David.
The government encourages tips about potential fraud or abuse related to healthcare technology through its hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The United States notes that all claims described are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
