Fort Myers urologist agrees to pay more than $1 million

On January 29, 2016, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley, III announced, "David Spellberg, M.D., has agreed to pay $1,050,000 to the government to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to federal health care programs for laboratory tests that were not medically necessary.

The settlement resolves allegations that Spellberg submitted claims to Medicare and Tricare for fluorescence in situ hybridization, or “FISH,” tests that were not medically necessary.  FISH tests are laboratory tests performed on urine that can detect genetic abnormalities associated with bladder cancer.  Medicare does not consider a FISH test reasonable or necessary unless it’s used to monitor for tumor reoccurrence in a patient previously diagnosed with bladder cancer or unless, after performing a full urologic workup, the physician has reason to suspect that a patient with hematuria (i.e., blood in the urine) may have bladder cancer.

To read the Government's Press Release:

http://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/fort-myers-urologist-agrees-pay-more-1-million