Atlanta, GA, April 6, 2026: Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates has agreed to pay $4.75 million to resolve federal allegations that it received illegal kickbacks for patient referrals and performed medically unnecessary gastrointestinal pathology testing, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The practice is part of United Digestive, a management services organization led by CEO Neal C. Patel.
Federal authorities alleged that beginning around May 2017, the Atlanta-based practice entered into an arrangement with Advanced Pathology Solutions (APS), a laboratory in Arkansas, to establish and operate a limited-capacity pathology lab within its office. Under the arrangement, histology technicians prepared and stained specimen slides at the in-house lab, while Atlanta Gastroenterology billed Medicare and other insurers for the technical component of the services…