Austin pain specialist Dr. Mark Malone and his practice, Advanced Pain Care, have agreed to shell out $13.6 million to resolve federal and state allegations that the clinic billed Medicare, TRICARE, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government programs for unnecessary urine drug tests.
The settlement, announced by federal prosecutors after years of whistleblower suits targeting the practice’s Central Texas locations, is civil only. Officials stressed that civil settlements like this do not amount to criminal findings and that the government has made no determination of liability.
According to a U.S. Attorney’s Office announcement, Dr. Malone, Advanced Pain Care, and related entities will pay $13,625,000 in total. Of that amount, the United States will receive $13,590,544.88, and the State of Texas will receive $34,455.12. The settlement resolves five qui tam lawsuits brought under the False Claims Act, and prosecutors again noted that the underlying claims remain allegations, not proven facts…