ATLANTA – An Atlanta-based urology practice and its owner will pay $14 million to settle federal allegations of widespread healthcare fraud and performing medically unnecessary procedures on patients.
Federal probe targets Atlanta urology group
What we know:
Advanced Urology, Inc. and Dr. Jitesh Patel settled claims they violated the False Claims Act by billing federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid for services that were either unnecessary or never performed. The government’s investigation began after two whistle-blowers ,a former employee and a former physician, filed complaints. The allegations included “upcoding” less complicated procedures to more expensive ones and ordering thousands of unnecessary ultrasounds.
What we don’t know:
While the $14 million settlement has been reached, the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted these are allegations only and there has been no formal…
CLICK HERE to read the FULL Atlanta's Advanced Urology to pay $14M for healthcare fraud article.
This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.