CHATTANOOGA, TN — Dr. Robert Burkich, a physician from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and his practice, Preventive Medicine Anti-Aging & Chelation Inc. in Ringgold, Georgia, have reached a settlement under the False Claims Act for fraudulent billing practices, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Between September 2009 and January 2017, Burkich allegedly billed Medicare for administering the chelation drug edetate calcium disodium (EDTA) to patients who did not have lead poisoning. EDTA is a drug approved solely for the treatment of lead poisoning or lead encephalopathy, and Medicare has clear rules prohibiting reimbursement for its use in non-approved conditions.
In this case, Burkich is accused of falsely certifying that his patients had lead poisoning or other heavy-metal-related diseases, thereby bypassing Medicare’s restrictions and obtaining improper reimbursements. The U.S. Attorney’s Office expressed concern about how such fraudulent activities deplete resources intended for beneficiaries who truly need care.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. stated, “By falsely certifying that services provided to patients are medically necessary, healthcare providers deplete the resources available to Medicare beneficiaries who are actually in need of care.”
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown stressed the need for integrity in federally funded healthcare programs, stating, “We must assure patients and taxpayers that the care provided by federally funded healthcare programs is dictated by clinical needs, not fiscal greed.” He added that the FBI and its law enforcement partners are committed to investigating and holding healthcare providers accountable for fraudulent billing.
