Doctor to pay $4 million to resolve fraud charges

TAMPA — Dr. James Norman, owner and operator of James Norman, MD, PA, doing business as Norman Parathyroid Center, has agreed to pay $4 million to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act by knowingly engaging in unlawful billing practices related to Medicare and other federal health care programs.

According to a statement from acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, from April 2008 to December 2016, the government alleges Dr. Norman submitted claims to Medicare, Tricare and the Federal Health Benefits Program for pre-operative examinations and charged and collected extra fees from federal health care beneficiaries for services he'd already received payment from the government.

Fees ranged from $150 to $750 for Florida residents and $1,750 or more for out-of-state patients. The statement says Dr. Norman and his practice collected hundreds of thousands of dollars through the billing practices.

“Fraudulent billing of the government, while also charging Medicare and other federal health care beneficiaries extra fees for services that the government has already paid for victimizes taxpayers, military veterans, the elderly, and other members of our community, and will not be tolerated,” says acting U.S. Attorney Muldrow in a statement.