UPMC, its Physician Practice Group, and Top Heart Surgeon Accused of Healthcare Fraud

ity of Pittsburgh Physicians, and James Luketich, M.D. comes after a two-year investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The healthcare fraud allegation was originally brought by a whistleblower.

According to the Justice Department, the whistleblower is a former UPMC physician who alleged that the UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh Physicians, and Dr. Luketich defrauded the Medicare, Medicaid, and other government health benefit programs.

The lawsuit specifically alleged that the defendants “knowingly submitted hundreds of materially false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, and other government health benefit programs over the past six years.” The submission of false billings is a violation of the False Claims Act.