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Ameet Goyal, 56, of Rye, who operates The Eye Associates Group, with practices in Rye, Mount Kisco, Wappingers Falls and in Greenwich, was arrested and charged by federal officials for allegedly fraudulently billing patients.
The indictment alleges that between 2010 and 2017, Goyal was billing patients, Medicare, and private insurance programs millions of dollars for complex eye surgeries that were never actually performed. The complaint states that Goyal and his associates also allegedly “upcoded” those and other surgeries.
It is alleged that Goyal falsified patient medical records, pressured other employees in his practice to engage in the scheme, and initiated debt collection proceedings against patients who did not pay the full amounts of his fraudulently billed charges.
In total, Goyal caused his practice to bill insurance programs and patients more than $8 million for alleged surgeries and procedures that never took place.
Goyal was arrested on Friday, Nov. 22 and charged with healthcare fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements relating to health care matters. If convicted he faces decades in prison. No return court date has been announced.
“As alleged, Dr. Ameet Goyal repeatedly upcoded minor ophthalmological procedures, defrauding insurers and patients by grossly overbilling, netting millions in ill-gotten gains in the process,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman stated. “As further alleged, Goyal also billed for tests and procedures that were never performed, falsified medical records, bullied others in his practice to abet the scheme, and intimidated patients who questioned their bills.“
FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney Jr. added, “when we go to the doctor, we have to put our faith in their knowledge because they have expertise we don’t.
"Dr. Goyal allegedly lied to patients about what they were being billed for, forced them to pay for treatments they didn’t receive, and then threatened his staff if they expressed alarm about taking part in the fraud.
"Medical practitioners who are more concerned with their profits than with the health of their patients are going against the oath they took, they are doing harm and they should be held accountable.”
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