The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced a settlement involving Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania, PC (ECOP). The organization has agreed to pay $790,000 to resolve allegations related to the False Claims Act. These allegations involve claims submitted to Medicare for Evaluation & Management services that were reportedly in violation of Medicare rules.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that between September 1, 2018, and April 7, 2025, ECOP submitted claims for E&M services on the same day as bilateral eye injections for beneficiaries. This was found to be against Medicare regulations.
“The United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania is dedicated to working with its law enforcement partners to zealously investigate allegations of the submission of unsupported claims to federal healthcare programs,” said Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus. “Improperly billing federal healthcare programs increases the costs of these taxpayer-funded programs. Settlements like this one are an important part of the fight against fraud, waste and abuse.”
Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), emphasized the importance of compliance with Medicare rules by providers submitting claims. “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of the Medicare program and maintaining the trust of the people it serves,” she said.
This case was managed by HHS-OIG and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Haken from the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
