Austin acupuncturist ordered to pay $2.3M in veteran billing lawsuit

An Austin acupuncturist was ordered to pay $2.3 million to the United States under the False Claims Act, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin acupuncturist was ordered to pay $2.3 million to the United States under the False Claims Act, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOJ said Dongxin Ma’s clinic, Ma Acupuncture Center PC, submitted inflated bills for services provided to veterans under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) community care program.

The settlement "is neither an admission of liability by Dongxin Ma and Ma Acupuncture Center PC nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded," court documents said.

According to the DOJ, the original lawsuit, which was filed in February 2022, said Ma “billed the VA for 60 minutes of one-on-one personal contact for each veteran he treated despite spending no more than 15 minutes with any patient.”

Of the $2.3 million, more than $1.28 million was restitution, according to court documents.

Ma must make the first payment no later than 60 days. The payment would be for $100,000. The remaining $2.2 million must be paid within 42 months.