A South Carolina physician and his practice have agreed to pay $585,540 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they received illegal kickbacks for referring patients for laboratory testing.
From June 2017 to December 2021, Moustafa Moustafa, MD, and his practice, South Carolina Nephrology and Hypertension Center, which has locations in Orangeburg and Bamberg, allegedly received thousands of dollars in remuneration from a clinical laboratory in Anderson, S.C., in return for Dr. Moustafa's referrals, according to Sept. 29 news release from the Justice Department.
From August 2020 to December 2022, Dr. Moustafa and his practice allegedly received remuneration from a clinical laboratory in Kenilworth, N.J., in the form of free clinical staff to provide services to his practice unrelated to that laboratory, in return for Dr. Moustafa's referrals for laboratory testing.
From September 2019 to March 2023, Dr. Moustafa allegedly received thousands of dollars in remuneration from marketing company Ralston Health Group in return for ordering clinical laboratory services from five laboratories.