INDIANA (WEHT) – Attorney General Todd Rokita announced Friday a $700,000 settlement has been reached to address allegations that a Hammond orthopedic surgeon overbilled Indiana’s Medicaid program.
Officials say an investigation by AG Rokita’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit uncovered abnormalities in charges billed to Medicaid by the Southeastern Medical Center (SEMC), operated by Dr. Kishan Chand.
The news release says between January 1, 2016, and June 1, 2021, SEMC submitted approximately 13,101 claims indicating that medical staff performed spinal manipulation on patients who were under anesthesia. Officials say records, however, showed no associated billing for an anesthesiologist or a hospital or surgical center and that the frequency of billing by SEMC was a substantial outlier across all Medicaid providers — all of which raised the question of whether manipulation under anesthesia had been performed at all.
“The purpose of Medicaid is to help patients in need cover health care expenses they otherwise would find difficult to pay,” AG Rokita said. “The program is not intended to serve as a cash cow for providers.”
You can see the settlement agreement below.
