Houston Republic

A neurosurgeon from Sugar Land, Texas, has agreed to pay over $2 million to settle allegations of submitting false claims for procedures involving electro-acupuncture devices. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Dr. Rajesh Bindal, who practiced through the Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center P.A., allegedly billed Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) for surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes between March 2021 and April 2022. These procedures typically require an operating room and result in significant costs per procedure.

The allegations state that neither Dr. Bindal nor his staff performed these surgeries. Instead, patients received devices for electro-acupuncture that involved minimal insertion into the ear and were secured with adhesive tape behind the ear. In some cases, these placements were reportedly done by a device sales representative or a physician assistant at Bindal’s clinic rather than a hospital or surgical center.

“A neurosurgeon, like Bindal, should know when he is and is not performing surgery,” said Hamdani. He emphasized the importance of accurate billing by medical professionals to maintain public trust in federal health care systems.

Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows from the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG) stated: “Ensuring that health care professionals are held accountable for submitting false claims to Medicare is essential for preserving public trust and safeguarding critical resources.”

Derek M. Holt, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM-OIG), added: “False claims come at a cost not only to our federal health care programs but also to the members who rely on these programs for necessary care.”

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office along with DHHS-OIG and OPM-OIG, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Collins handling the matter.