NV State Board of Medical Examiners Files a Complaint against Oncologist Dr. Navneet Sharda
The Investigative Committee has filed a formal complaint charging Dr. Sharda for violating the provisions of the Medical Practice Act.
The committee charges and alleges three counts of violations – Medical Records Violation, Disrepute and Billing.
Dr. Sharda and his practice, Cancer Care Center, were investigated by the Inspector General of Medical for possible medical billing fraud. During its investigation, Office of the Inspector General discovered that Dr. Sharda’s patient billings and medical records submitted to Medicare were not accurate as required by Nevada law.
The settlement agreement, effective Sept. 17, 2012, states that Navneet Sharda, M.D., who owns and operates Cancer Care Center in Las Vegas, agreed to pay $486,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that from Jan.1 2006, through March 30, 2010, he made improper billings to Medicare.
Dr. Sharda allegedly overbilled federal health care insurance programs such as Medicare, TRICARE, and the FEHB, by unbundling the billings for the treatments he provided. Unbundling is when a doctor splits the billing for a major procedure into several smaller procedures in order to obtain more money from the government than the doctor is entitled to receive. The settlement agreement states that it is neither an admission of liability by Dr. Sharda nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
Under Nevada law, the failure to maintain timely, legible, accurate and complete medical records relating to the diagnosis, treatment and care of a patient is grounds for initiating discipline against a licensee. The patient billing records reviewed by the Office of the Inspector General reflects that Dr. Sharda charged for visits to his office that did not occur and/or charged for services that were not rendered.
The Board has given notice to Dr. Sharda of the charges against him and he may file an answer to the Investigative Complaint within twenty days of service of the Complaint.