A 53-year-old Indian-origin neurosurgeon in the US has been fined more than $2 million after falsely claiming to perform surgeries involving electro-acupuncture devices. Dr. Rajesh Bindal, based in the Houston area, was ordered to pay USD 2,095,946 for defrauding Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), as announced by US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani on Wednesday.

How did he commit the fraud?

Federal investigators said Dr. Bindal filed false claims for the invasive surgeries, which were supposed to take place in operating rooms, but no such surgeries ever occurred. Instead, the so-called electro-acupuncture devices were merely taped behind patients' ears, usually falling off just days later.

In some cases, the procedures were not even performed by Dr. Bindal. Instead, they were performed by a sales representative or a physician assistant at his clinic, Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center P.A., without the proper medical setting required for such procedures.

The fraudulent actions of Dr. Bindal resulted in huge financial losses and raised questions about patient safety.

“A neurosurgeon like Dr. Bindal knows the difference between real surgery and sticking a device behind someone’s ear,” said US Attorney Hamdani. “Despite being among the highest-paid specialists in medicine, he chose personal greed over integrity and patient care.”

According to Jason E. Meadows, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, “This type of fraud not only wastes taxpayer dollars but undermines trust in healthcare providers and critical programs like Medicare. Dr. Bindal’s actions deceived both the system and vulnerable patients.”

Dr. Bindal's case serves as a reminder of the continuing challenge of maintaining integrity in the healthcare system and the risks to patients if such practices are not controlled.