Miami, FL – A group of South Florida medical providers have agreed to pay $810,301 to settle allegations of fraud under the False Claims Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The settlement involves Vascular and Interventional Specialists, LLC (VIS); Vascular and Spine Institute, Inc. (VSI); Dr. Oscar Sosa; and Dr. Osmany DeAngelo.
The allegations, spanning from 2015 to 2024, claim that these providers submitted claims for medically unnecessary percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA). PTAs are procedures aimed at increasing blood flow through a diseased or abnormally narrowed vessel. The United States alleged that VIS, VSI, Sosa, and DeAngelo performed these procedures without any diagnostic inquiry or clinical diagnosis to justify their medical necessity. Consequently, they filed claims with federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, for non-essential or medically unjustified PTAs.
VIS operates as an endovascular surgery center in Miami, focusing on vascular and interventional radiology services, including the diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases and the management of dialysis access. VSI was responsible for billing federal healthcare programs for services rendered by VIS and its practitioners.
The information that led to the lawsuit came from a whistleblower, Dr. Emilio Lopez, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. This provision allows private individuals to file suits on behalf of the government regarding false claims and share in any financial recovery. Dr. Lopez is set to receive approximately $186,369 from the settlement.
The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, along with Jesus Barranco, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office. The HHS-OIG conducted the investigation, and litigation was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Feeley.
For more information, related court documents and details can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or via PACER, under case number 20-cv-22046.
