Florida doctor agrees to settlement in latest kickback allegations tied to Hempfield lab

A Florida doctor has agreed to pay more than $911,000 to settle allegations that he received kickbacks for referring patients to a now-defunct drug testing lab in Hempfield.

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Thursday that Dr. Nathan Hanflink of Mt. Dora, Fla., allegedly received improper payments for making referrals to Universal Oral Fluid Laboratories and caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare for drug testing services.

Hanflink also signed an integrity agreement with the federal government that mandates monitoring of his billing practices for three years.

Other doctors have been accused of similar improper dealings with the former lab on Willow Crossing Road, whose owner has been indicted on related charges.

In May, three doctors, including one from Jeannette, agreed to settle allegations they received improper payments from the lab for referrals.

Dr. Robert Fetchero of Jeannette agreed to pay $200,000; Dr. Sridhar Pinnamaneni of Windermere, Fla.. agreed to pay $370,000; and Dr. Thelma Green-Mack of Zionsville, Ind., agreed to pay $130,000.

The claims resolved by the various settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability, authorities said.

The settlements followed a guilty plea on related charges from Dr. John H. Johnson, who served as the lab’s medical director.

A criminal conspiracy indictment was returned earlier this year against William J. Hughes, 70, of Pittsburgh, the former lab’s owner, and Dr. Varanise C. Booker, 62, of Louisville, Ky.

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has alleged that between September 2012 and August 2013 Booker received about $840,000 in kickbacks from Hughes for patient referrals.

The indictment alleges that the scheme defrauded federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. The lab received “millions of dollars from third party payors, including Medicare, based on Dr. Booker’s referrals,” Brady said.

Hughes has denied the charges.