Indian American Neurosurgeon Pays $2 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Procedures
- Dr. Rajesh Bindal, 53, owner of Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center, billed Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for surgical implants.
An Indian American neurosurgeon from Sugar Land, Texas, has agreed to pay over $2 million to resolve allegations he submitted false claims for the placement of electro-acupuncture devices. Dr. Rajesh Bindal, 53, owner of Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center, “billed Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes,” between March 16, 2021, and April 22, 2022, according to the Department of Justice. These invasive procedures usually requiring use of an operating room. As a result, “Medicare and the FEHBP pay thousands of dollars per procedure,” the DOJ said.
However, neither Bindal nor his staff performed these surgical procedures, according to the the DOJ. Instead, “patients allegedly received devices used for electro-acupuncture, which only involved inserting monofilament wire a few millimeters into patients’ ears and taping the device behind the ear with an adhesive,” the DOJ said.
In some instances, a device sales representative or a physician assistant allegedly performed these placements, which were then billed as surgeries. All device placements took place in Bindal’s clinic, not a hospital or surgical center, and no incision was made on a patient. Most patients claimed the adhesive came loose and the device fell off on its own accord within a few days.
“A neurosurgeon, like Bindal, should know when he is and is not performing surgery,” said Alamdar Hamdani, the U.S.Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.. “Even though neurosurgeons, according to one study, are the highest paid physician specialists in the United States, Bindal allegedly submitted false claims in an effort to further enrich himself. To maintain the trust of the public in our federal health care system, it is imperative that medical professionals, such as neurosurgeons, bill accurately for the services provided. Otherwise, my office may get involved and seek to hold accountable anyone who violates that trust.”