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Press Release

California Genetic Testing Lab Agrees to Pay $357,584 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – A California diagnostic laboratory will pay $357,584 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing to be submitted claims for genetic tests to Medicare without valid physician oversight, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today. 

According to the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:

From September 2015 to November 2015, Exceltox used the services of contractor Seth Rehfuss, of Somerset, New Jersey, who persuaded groups of senior citizens in senior housing complexes to submit to genetic testing, despite applicable Medicare rules requiring proper orders from a treating physician for such tests. Exceltox, in turn, submitted claims for payment to Medicare for Rehfuss’ genetic tests performed without valid physician oversight.

Rehfuss previously pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court to a superseding information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced in May 2019 to 50 months in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey; and the Cape May County Department of Aging and Disability Services, with the investigation leading to the settlement.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. 

The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Updated January 6, 2021

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Topic
Health Care Fraud
Press Release Number: 21-004