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ORTHOPEDICS
Spine surgeon, New Jersey ASC operator has license
temporarily suspended after inappropriate texts with
patients: 5 details
By Laura Dyrda
A
spine surgeon who operates two
ASCs in New Jersey had his license
temporarily suspended aer allega-
tions of inappropriately contacting two pa-
tients, according to a report from the North
Jersey Record.
Five things to know:
1. Louis Quartararo, MD, allegedly ex-
changed inappropriate text messages, images
and videos with patients from October 2011
to May 2016. A court order alleges he had
an "inappropriate sexual relationship" with a
former patient, according to the report.
2. Dr. Quartararo signed two court orders
with the New Jersey Board of Medical Exam-
iners in March without admitting guilt.
3. Under the orders, Dr. Quartararo will
undergo inpatient psychosexual evaluation
and treatment.
4. Dr. Quartararo's license is also suspended
in New Jersey and New York and he cannot
provide medical care for patients or have
contact with patients until the suspension
is lied. e order also prevents him from
entering his office during business hours or
in the presence of patients.
5. e New Jersey licensing board can
modify the order or pursue further action at
any time. n
DOJ charges 24 in $1.2B+
medical device kickback
scheme — 5 insights
By Eric Oliver
T
he Department of Justice charged 24 individuals
in connection with a massive kickback scheme
that resulted in more than $1.2 billion in losses.
What you should know:
1. The DOJ charged defendants across the U.S. They al-
legedly all participated in a kickback scheme concern-
ing medically unnecessary durable medical equipment
braces. The defendants include executives in telemedi-
cine companies, owners of durable medical equipment
companies and three licensed medical professionals.
2. The defendants allegedly used an international call
center that advertised to Medicare beneficiaries. The
call centers attempted to get the patients to receive
DME medical braces at little or no cost, regardless of
need.
3. The call centers would then pay kickbacks to tele-
medicine companies, who paid kickbacks to physicians
to receive prescriptions for the braces. The call center
would sell the prescriptions to the brace companies,
who then billed Medicare.
4. The entire operation caused more than $1 billion in
losses, $1.7 billion in claims and $900 million in pay-
ments.
5. FBI and HHS' Office of Inspector General led the
investigation. n
Missouri orthopedic practice
ordered to provide outcomes
data on knee procedure after
claiming 92% success rate: 5 key
notes
By Laura Dyrda
M
izzou BioJoint Center may be required to provide
outcomes data after claiming a knee osteoarthritis
treatment had a 92 percent success rate, according
to the Columbia Tribune.
Five things to know:
1. The group faces multiple lawsuits alleging medical mal-
practice associated with an osteoarthritis treatment that used
donor tissue and cartilage to treat patients with knee pain.
The group reportedly claimed a 92 percent success rate with
the procedure, which plaintiffs in the lawsuit question.
2. The group has not made the data behind their claims
public to this point, however Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs
granted a pending motion that would require the data
released that support Mizzou BioJoint's success rate with the
procedure. The outcomes data would redact patient identi-
ties but include information such as age and health factors.
3. Previously, the group provided a spreadsheet of data with-
out critical data points included, according to the motion.
4. Mizzou BioJoint contends the data is protected under
HIPAA.
5. The practice continues to stand by the procedure in ques-
tion. n
