Baltimore Doctor Settles Allegations of Improper Procedures
- April 17, 2020
Internist Ebenezer Quainoo, M.D. agreed to pay the United States $436,000 to settle allegations that he submitted false claims for medically unnecessary autonomic nervous function tests and trigger point injections with the use of ultrasound guidance, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur announced April 15.
According to the settlement agreement, from July 24, 2014 to November 30, 2018, Quainoo performed autonomic nervous function tests that were not medically necessary because he lacked the equipment to conduct the tests, the patients did not have an autonomic nervous function disorder before the test was conducted, he lacked the specific training to conduct such tests, and he only used the tests to monitor patient symptoms, not make any clinical decisions about future patient care.
The government further alleged that the trigger point injections were not medically necessary because Quainoo failed to document a muscular knot or nodule before the patient underwent the injections, failed to exhaust conservative treatments or therapy before performing the injections, and ultrasound guidance was not needed to perform the injections.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, there has been no determination of liability.