Jeannette doctor settles case alleging improper payments

Three doctors, including one from Jeannette, separately agreed to settle allegations that they received improper payments for referrals from Hempfield-based Universal Oral Fluid Laboratories, and caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare for drug testing services, federal authorities said Monday.

Dr. Robert Fetchero of Jeannette agreed to pay $200,000; Dr. Sridhar Pinnamaneni of Windermere, Fla.. agreed to pay $370,000; and Dr. Thelma Green-Mack of Zionsville, Ind., agreed to pay $130,000.

The settlements follow a guilty plea on related charges from Dr. John H. Johnson, who served as the lab's medical director, and resolve allegations that the settling physicians referred Medicare patients to the lab for drug testing services while engaged in a financial relationship with the lab.

Federal authorities said the lab paid the three physicians to refer their patients for drug tests, then submitted claims to Medicare for the services from 2011 to 2014. The arrangement violated the physician self-referral law, commonly known as “Stark Law” and the Anti-Kickback Statute, giving rise to liability under the False Claims Act, authorities said.

“The integrity of the relationship between patients and their doctors is sacrosanct,” United States Attorney Scott W. Brady said in a prepared statement. “A physician's medical judgment should never be compromised by improper financial incentives. We will continue to hold health care providers accountable when they enter into financial arrangements that violate the law.”

The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability, authorities said.

Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-226-4702, mczebiniak@tribweb.com, or via Twitter @maddyczebstrib.