Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Texas Physicians and Practice Settle Case Involving Kickbacks

On July 6, 2017, Jonathan B. Shaffer, M.D., Dina B. White, M.D., and Sweetwater Medical Associates (collectively, "Sweetwater"), Sugar Land, Texas, entered into a $62,400 settlement agreement with OIG. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that Sweetwater solicited and received remuneration from Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. (HDL), a laboratory company, in the form of "process and handling" payments related to the collection of blood. OIG alleged that Sweetwater solicited and received the remuneration from HDL in exchange for Sweetwater referring patients for laboratory testing services to HDL, for which the Medicare Program paid. Senior Counsels Katie Fink and Jennifer Leonardis represented OIG with the assistance of Program Analyst Mariel Filtz.

Action Details

  • Date:July 6, 2017
  • Enforcement Types:
    • CMP and Affirmative Exclusions