Comprehensive Pain and Headache Treatment Centers, LLC and its owner, Dr. Mark Thimineur, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations that they improperly billed the Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid programs.
The allegations against CPHTC, which is an interventional pain management medical practice with offices in Derby and Meriden, arose from improper billing of urine drug tests.
It is alleged that CPHTC and Thimineur submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for quantitative testing of patient urine samples when such testing was not actually being done.
Quantitative testing provides a numerical concentration of a drug or metabolite in a patient’s urine.
“It is further alleged that CPHTC and Thimineur violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by submitting claims for alcohol tests and amphetamine/methamphetamine tests conducted on patients’ urine samples, when those tests were components of urine drug screening tests for which the CPHTC and Thimineur were already being paid by the Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid programs,” the statement said.
To resolve their liability, CPHTC and Thimineur will pay $427,691.90 to the federal and state governments for conduct occurring between May 15, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2015.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot and Assistant Attorney General Michael Cole of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People that suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at 203-777-6311.