Former Delaware Physician to Pay $180,000 to Resolve Allegations of Genetic Testing Fraud

WILMINGTON, Del. - Dr. Shayasta S. Mufti, a physician and former resident of Newark, Delaware, has agreed to pay $180,000 to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently ordering medically unnecessary genetic testing for over 100 Medicare beneficiaries.

According to the United States, between April 2019 and November 2019, Dr. Mufti ordered medically unnecessary genetic tests for more than 100 Medicare patients. The United States alleges that Dr. Mufti had no established physician-patient relationship with these patients, did not examine them, did not review or discuss the test results, and did not use the results to inform any course of treatment for any of the patients. In many instances, the orders were based solely on brief telemedicine consultations-and sometimes no consultation at all. The genetic tests Dr. Mufti ordered frequently cost Medicare thousands of dollars per patient.

"Physicians who order unnecessary and expensive services, including genetic tests, drain critical resources from Medicare and other federal health care programs," said U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace. "These schemes not only waste taxpayer dollars, they undermine the integrity of programs that millions of Americans rely on. Our office will continue to use data analytics and work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify providers who misuse federal funds and to hold them accountable."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Laksin and Auditor David Cheung handled the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware. The settlement agreement is attached to this press release. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District CourtLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. for the District of Delaware or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. No. 25-771-MN.

The claims resolved by the settlement are merely allegations. There has been no determination of liability.

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