The University will pay $995,000 in civil damages to settle a fraud case against a former urology professor at the medical school, the United States Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
“This case should serve as a reminder that regardless of how well-established or prestigious the entity or individual, this Office will pursue those who engage in Medicare Fraud, and they will bear the costs of their actions,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Law ’93, said in a press release.
The lawsuit alleges that between 2003 and 2009, Erik Goluboff , an oncologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia College alumnus, violated Medicare regulations by requesting reimbursements for unnecessary medical tests—billing Medicare incorrectly to earn illegal profits and reporting more procedures than he was actually performing.
The case was brought to the attention of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in November 2005, when a whistleblower at Presbyterian Hospital stepped forward and filed a complaint against Goluboff.
The lawsuit also claims that the University and Presbyterian Hospital were aware of Goluboff’s fraudulent practices and ignored them, benefitting from the illegal reimbursements from Medicare.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, University officials internally described Goluboff’s “alarming compliance issues” with Medicare protocol.
According to the terms of the lawsuit, Columbia must make the full payment by Tuesday, Oct. 11, or it could face more legal action.
COMMENTS
Comments will be moderated in accordance with our comment policy