A Riverside County chiropractor has agreed to pay $180,000 in a settlement with federal prosecutors over allegations of fraudulent Medicare claims. Kevin Michael Brown, who operates through his companies Revive Medical of San Diego and Revive Medical LLC in Oklahoma City, faced accusations of billing Medicare for surgical neurostimulator implants that were never performed, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Instead of the claimed surgical procedures, Brown's clinics applied an electroacupuncture device known as "Stivax" to patients, which is taped to the ear and does not require surgery. These devices are not eligible for Medicare reimbursement, a fact that Brown admitted in the settlement. Followed through his companies, the false claims made by Brown captured the attention of federal authorities, leading to the investigation and subsequent settlement.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert underscored the government's stance on the issue in a statement saying, "As this case demonstrates, we are committed to vigorously pursuing those who defraud Medicare and will use all tools available to us, including civil enforcement remedies." The investigation into false claims associated with Stivax is reported to be ongoing, indicating a broader effort to clamp down on similar Medicare fraud schemes, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Further emphasizing the repercussions of such fraudulent activities, Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, stated, "Health care professionals who fraudulently bill Medicare for services never actually provided divert taxpayer funding meant to pay for medically necessary services for Medicare enrollees." Revealing the broader implications of individual acts of deceit, HHS-OIG, in concert with law enforcement partners, pledges to uphold the integrity of federal health care programs and protect the beneficiaries depending on those services, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case against Brown was spearheaded by the collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and handled for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia P. E. Morris. In addition to the financial settlement, Brown agreed to a five-year exclusion from participating in Medicare, Medicaid, and all other federal health care programs. For more details on the settlement, visit the U.S. Attorney's Office website.
