Whistleblower Saves Lives, Earns Financial Reward

Physician Blows the Whistle on Ineffective Prostate Treatments

A physician in New Mexico has earned a whistleblower reward for helping the government uncover evidence that another physician was performing ineffective prostate laser ablation procedures on patients.

Dr. Arnaldo Trabucco, M.D., presented the government with evidence that another physician was billing Medicare for prostate laser ablation procedures that were too short to generate a therapeutic benefit, failed to meet professionally recognized standards of care, were medically unnecessary, and violated applicable Medicare regulations.  The procedure is also known as a Green Light prostatectomy.

Dr. Trabucco presented his evidence in a lawsuit under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.  This whistleblower law allows private citizens to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained.  The lawsuit was initially filed “under seal” (in secret) to give the government an opportunity to investigate the allegations and evidence.

After investigating the allegations and evidence in this case, the government entered into a settlement agreement with the accused physician.  The physician agreed to pay $207,988 to resolve claims that he violated the False Claims Act by submitting false bills to Medicare.

Dr. Trabucco, the whistleblower, will receive a reward equal to between 15% and 25% of the amount the government actually recovers.  He also has the satisfaction of knowing that patients will no longer receive inadequate prostate treatment.

If you have evidence that a physician or other healthcare provider is submitting false claims to Medicare, contact an experienced whistleblower lawyer to see if you qualify for a financial reward and legal protections.  To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call John Howley, Esq. at (212) 601-2728.