Healthcare Provider Agrees to $45 Million Settlement Following Federal Fraud Allegations

Key Takeaways

• Settlement Agreement: Vohra Wound Physicians Management and owner Dr. Ameet Vohra agreed to pay $45 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act.
• Alleged False Claims: The United States alleged Vohra caused the submission of Medicare claims for medically unnecessary surgical excisional debridement procedures, higher-paying surgical procedures when only routine non-surgical wound care had been done, and evaluation and management services that were not billable under Medicare rules.
• Physician Pressure: Prosecutors alleged Vohra physicians were pressured, trained, and financially incentivized to perform debridement procedures during as many patient visits as possible regardless of patients’ clinical needs.
• Billing System Manipulation: The government further alleged Vohra’s electronic health record and billing software were programmed to always bill for the higher-reimbursed surgical excisional procedure and generate false documentation to support the claims.
• Corporate Integrity Agreement: Under the settlement, Vohra must enter a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement requiring a compliance program, a risk assessment process, an independent review organization, and annual certifications by company executives and owners.

Deep Dive

One of the nation’s largest bedside wound-care providers will pay $45 million to resolve federal allegations that it routinely billed Medicare for procedures that were unnecessary, and in some cases, never performed.

The Justice Department announced Friday that Dr. Ameet Vohra and his companies, including Vohra Wound Physicians Management, agreed to the settlement after investigators accused the organization of running a years-long scheme that prioritized higher reimbursements over patient need.

The government’s April 2025 lawsuit laid out a sweeping account of how the alleged misconduct worked. According to the complaint, Vohra physicians were pushed, trained, and financially incentivized to perform surgical excisional debridement procedures during as many visits as possible, even when routine wound care was sufficient. Federal officials said it ultimately didn’t matter what level of care was actually delivered, because Vohra’s electronic health record and billing software allegedly ensured Medicare was billed for the most lucrative surgical option every time.

Investigators also said the system was designed to auto-populate medical records with documentation that made it appear the higher-level procedures had been performed, even when they hadn’t. Prosecutors allege that the strategy originated with Dr. Vohra and was implemented by his senior management team across the country.

Federal officials made clear that the alleged conduct went beyond improper paperwork. They framed it as conduct that threatens federal programs and puts medically vulnerable patients at risk.

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said providers who manipulate electronic health record systems “undermine the integrity of the Medicare program and waste taxpayer dollars.” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones of the Southern District of Florida added that when companies design systems to inflate profits at taxpayer expense, “they are stealing from the American people.”

The concern wasn’t limited to financial impact. U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap of the Southern District of Georgia noted that inflated claims contribute to rising healthcare costs more broadly, while HHS-OIG’s Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank emphasized the risk imposed on elderly and vulnerable patients.

The resolution doesn’t end with the monetary settlement. Vohra will operate under a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. The agreement requires the company to build and maintain a formal compliance program, implement a risk-assessment process, and bring in an independent review organization to audit its billing practices and technology systems. Company executives and owners must also personally certify each year that Vohra is meeting its obligations.

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