KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Prosecutors said a Chattanooga chiropractic clinic agreed to pay around $1.1 million after it was accused of improperly billing Medicare for electro-acupuncture treatments that use "auricular stimulation devices."
The clinic was known as Apple Corporate Wellness, Inc. and is now known as Bryn Medical Center and Basket Medical PLLC. A release from the United States Attorney's Office said the services were given between June 28, 2016, and June 19, 2017.
It said the services were improperly billed using the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, which identifies products and services and is used to bill Medicare. The release said the clinic submitted "Code L8679" — a code for "implantable neurostimulator, pulse generator" devices. Devices covered under this code need to be implanted into the nervous system by a surgeon.
Apple instead said it electro-acupuncture devices were applied by inserting needles into patients' ears and taping devices behind them with an adhesive.
The release said Medicare does not reimburse clinics for these kinds of devices and did not reimburse providers for acupuncture between June 2016 and June 2017.
