BONE GROWTH STIM CONVICTIONS MOUNT (Orthopedics This Week)
The drip, drip, drip of former Orthofix, Inc. employees convicted of cheating Medicare to sell bone growth stimulator devices continues.
Hunter Rigsby Pleads Guilty
On May 14, 2013, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that Hunter Rigsby, a former territory manager, pled guilty to health care fraud and paying kickbacks from 2005 through 2011 while selling Orthofix bone growth stimulators in Tennessee.
According to the announcement, Medicare only pays for “long bone” stimulators when at least 90 days have elapsed without clinically significant healing, and it only covers certain types of injuries. Rigsby was well aware of these guidelines, having received training on these guidelines at Orthofix. On numerous occasions, doctors in Rigsby’s territory ordered bone growth stimulators that did not satisfy Medicare’s guidelines.
Forged Records and Physician Signatures
For instance, some doctors prescribed the device before 90 days had elapsed without any healing, and other doctors prescribed the device for patients who had injuries that were not covered under Medicare’s guidelines. When this occurred, Rigsby often...
