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Former Pennsylvania Hospital cardiologist settles stent fraud

A former director of Pennsylvania Hospital's cardiac catheterization lab agreed to pay a civil penalty of $126,617 to settle allegations that between May 4, 2010, and Sept. 7, 2012, he performed an unspecified number of medically unnecessary cardiac stent procedures.

A former director of Pennsylvania Hospital's cardiac catheterization lab agreed to pay a civil penalty of $126,617 to settle allegations that between May 4, 2010, and Sept. 7, 2012, he performed an unspecified number of medically unnecessary cardiac stent procedures, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said Monday.

Pennsylvania Hospital's owner, University of Pennsylvania Health System, brought its concerns with the work of Vidya Banka to the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice and separately agreed in January 2017 to pay $845,000 in connection with two cardiologists who performed unneeded stents at Pennsylvania Hospital between 2008 and 2012.

The second cardiologist was not identified.

Banka, who stopped working at Pennsylvania Hospital in Sept. 2012, admitted no liability. He also agreed to a five-year exclusion from Medicare and other health programs funded by the federal government, according to the U.S. Attorney.