On September 29, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced that they filed a False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit against Dr. Michael Neret alleging that he billed Medicare nearly $500,000 for surgical neurostimulator electrode implantations that were not performed.
According to the complaint, the billed surgical neurostimulator implantation procedures require an operating room and generate Medicare payments of thousands of dollars per procedure. The complaint alleges that, instead of performing the billed surgeries, non-physician practitioners and non-clinical staff used inexpensive electro-acupuncture devices during brief office sessions. Staff allegedly inserted small electrode wires into patients’ skin and secured the devices behind their ears with adhesive.
The government further alleges that Dr. Neret knew the electro-acupuncture devices were non-billable and encouraged staff to use them without explaining how the procedures would benefit patients. The complaint also alleges that the procedures were used to justify prescribing narcotics for pain management.
HHS-OIG assisted with the investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is litigating the matter. Because this is a filed civil complaint rather than a settlement, the government must still prove its allegations, and the announcement does not report any admission, judgment, or resolution.
Healthcare providers should confirm that procedure codes match the service actually performed, the practitioner who performed it, the location and resources used, and the contemporaneous clinical record. High-reimbursement surgical codes should receive targeted review when the underlying service occurs in an office setting or uses materially different equipment.
Pain-management practices should also separate clinical decision-making from billing incentives and document the medical necessity and expected benefit of each procedure. Training and audit protocols should cover non-physician and non-clinical personnel, device use, supervision, and escalation when staff are asked to perform services that do not align with the billed code.
GWB represents healthcare providers in connection with government investigations and False Claims Act litigation. If you need assistance with such a matter, contact us today.
Get in Touch With Us
For more information or to arrange a consultation, please contact us by telephone at (404) 233-4171 or online by submitting the form below. The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship nor create an expectancy of a potential attorney-client relationship. Do not submit information which is confidential or time sensitive, as it may not be treated as such.