LOUISVILLE, Ky. –Timmie J. Conrad, M.D., owner and operator of The Conrad Eye Centers, has voluntarily entered into a settlement with the United States of America to pay $157,060.24 to settle allegations that he submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for payment to the Medicare and Medicaid programs in violation of the Federal False Claims Act, announced the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. According to the settlement agreement, the United States contends that Conrad, an ophthalmologist, inappropriately submitted additional charges to Medicare and Medicaid for consultations and testing that were never performed on patients.

Specifically, the United States alleges that Conrad improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid for an evaluation and consultation when, in fact, these patients were never referred to Conrad for a consultation. The agreement further alleges that Conrad billed Medicare and Medicaid for pachymetry testing when, in fact, this test was never performed on patients, and that Conrad billed Medicare and Medicaid for color vision examinations when Conrad did not have the proper equipment to perform these tests on his patients, and in fact, did not perform said tests on his patients. The over-billing covered a four year period between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2010 and includes the two Conrad Eye Centers located in Louisville, Kentucky and New Albany, Indiana.

This settlement agreement is neither an admission of liability by Conrad nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Schecter and it was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services.

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