NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Atlanta, GA, April 3, 2026: A metro Atlanta–based urology practice and its founder have agreed to pay $14 million to settle allegations that they billed for unnecessary and unperformed medical procedures, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Advanced Urology, a multi-location practice serving the Atlanta area, and its founder Dr. Jitesh Patel reached the settlement to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act and the Georgia False Medicaid Claims Act by submitting improper claims to government healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Federal authorities alleged that the practice billed for procedures that were either not performed or were medically unnecessary, raising concerns about both patient safety and misuse of taxpayer-funded healthcare programs.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation began after two whistleblower complaints were filed—one by a former employee and another by a former physician at the practice. The whistleblowers alleged that the organization was structured to maximize revenue by routinely performing unnecessary procedures and tests.
Among the specific allegations:
- Patients were implanted with sacral nerve stimulator devices without determining whether they would benefit from the device
- Patients underwent cystoscopy and retrograde pyelogram procedures, involving anesthesia and insertion of a scope into the bladder, even when not medically necessary
- An electromyography test, rarely used in urology, was allegedly performed on nearly every new patient
- Thousands of ultrasound tests were ordered without medical justification
- The practice allegedly billed for a more complex procedure known as Direct Visual Internal Urethrotomy (DVIU) while performing a simpler dilation procedure to obtain higher reimbursement
Officials said such practices not only inflate healthcare costs but can also expose patients to unnecessary risks.
“Physicians commit fraud when they seek payment for medically unnecessary procedures or bill for services they never performed,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
The case involved claims submitted to multiple federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, which serves military personnel and their families. Federal and state agencies involved in the investigation included the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Georgia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Under the settlement, the whistleblowers—identified in court filings as Lorraine Perumal-Szramel and Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal—will collectively receive approximately $2.94 million.
The settlement resolves two lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Authorities emphasized that the claims remain allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
