A dermatologist and owner of Treasure Coast Dermatology in Vero Beach and Port St. Lucie, Florida has agreed to pay $2.5 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare and TRICARE for procedures he did not perform, the United States Attorney’s Office announced today. Dr.Ioannides also agreed to operate under an integrity agreement with the Department of Health & Humans Services, Office of Inspector General for 3 years.
“Physicians who bill for procedures they do not perform put personal monetary gain over their duty to their patients, and they raise the cost of health care for all of us as patients and taxpayers,” said Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “We will relentlessly pursue this type of fraud and abuse that plagues federal health care programs and threatens their financial stability.”