California vascular practice, physician agree to pay $6.73 million in False Claims Act settlement

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Dan Blystone

07.05.2026

California vascular practice, physician agree to pay $6.73 million in False Claims Act settlement — Vascular fraud: $6.73M settlement

Federal authorities say a California vascular practice and its physician agree to pay more than $6.73 million to resolve allegations that unnecessary interventional procedures were billed to Medicare. The settlement covers conduct alleged to have occurred from 2016 to 2024 and includes payments to both the U.S. government and the State of California.

Highlights

Serrano Kidney & Vascular Access Center and Dr. Feliciano Serrano agreed to a $6.73 million False Claims Act settlement for allegedly billing Medicare for unnecessary vascular procedures from 2016 to 2024.
The United States alleges Serrano performed unwarranted dialysis access and peripheral artery disease interventions on patients, documented false symptoms, overstated stenosis, and failed to follow medical standards.
Lincoln Analytics Inc. will receive $976,000 as the whistleblower reward, reflecting ongoing Justice Department enforcement against healthcare fraud targeting federal programs.

Settlement terms and alleged billing conduct

As reported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Serrano Kidney & Vascular Access Center in Huntington Park, California, and Dr. Feliciano Serrano agree to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims for medically unnecessary vascular interventional procedures on 20 Medicare beneficiaries. The government says the matter is settled under the False Claims Act for more than $6.73 million.

The United States alleges that from 2016 to 2024, Serrano performed medically unnecessary dialysis access interventions, including angioplasty and stent procedures, on 18 patients. Prosecutors say he scheduled interventions routinely without waiting for complications, repeated procedures every few days or weeks despite limited effect, and delivered no clinical benefit in some cases.

The government also alleges that from 2019 to 2024, Serrano performed medically unnecessary peripheral artery disease procedures, including stent and atherectomy interventions, on 17 patients. According to the allegations, some patients had only mild or no stenosis, some reported pain in only one leg but received procedures on both legs, and some were told amputation was a likely risk when the condition was only mildly symptomatic.

Authorities further allege that across both categories, Serrano treated vessels that did not qualify for intervention under accepted medical standards, overstated the degree of stenosis, and falsely documented symptoms and conservative therapy measures in medical records. Under the settlement, Dr. Serrano is to pay nearly $6.51 million to the United States and nearly $229,000 to California.

Whistleblower recovery and healthcare fraud enforcement

The civil settlement also resolves claims brought by Lincoln Analytics Inc. under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The company is set to receive about $976,000 as its share of the federal recovery in the case, which is captioned United States and State of California ex rel. Lincoln Analytics Inc. v. Dr. Feliciano Serrano, et al., Civil Action No. 23-cv-04178 in the Central District of California.

Justice Department officials say the case reflects a broader enforcement push against healthcare fraud affecting federal programs. The resolution involves the Justice Department's Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, the California Department of Justice, and support from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate says physicians should not perform and bill for unnecessary and excessive interventions, while First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill A. Essayli says the settlement signals continued action against false claims involving taxpayer funds. The government says the False Claims Act remains a key tool in pursuing fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in healthcare programs.

Our earlier article covered DISH Wireless’s multimillion-dollar settlement over allegations it improperly enrolled ineligible households in the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and its successor, the Affordable Connectivity Program. We noted that authorities said the company lacked effective eligibility controls and that agent conduct and oversight failures contributed to inaccurate applications and improper subsidy payments. The case highlighted broader federal efforts to tighten compliance and protect taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and abuse.

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