CINCINNATI, Ohio — An Ohio physician has agreed to pay $600,000, plus additional contingent payments, to settle allegations that he fraudulently billed Medicare for electro-acupuncture treatments, according to federal prosecutors.
Dr. Ronald F. Ambrosia, 56, of Powell, allegedly misrepresented procedures involving the P-Stim Device—an electro-acupuncture tool used for chronic pain treatment—as surgically implanted neurostimulators in claims submitted to Medicare between 2016 and 2018.
The P-Stim Device, a small battery-powered unit affixed behind the ear with adhesive, delivers intermittent electrical pulses to the patient’s nerves. Despite being a disposable, non-surgical treatment, Ambrosia allegedly billed Medicare as if he had performed a surgical procedure, disregarding multiple warnings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Federal investigators, led by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, found that Ambrosia’s claims did not involve surgery, anesthesia, or the use of an operating facility—requirements for the billing codes he allegedly used.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the settlement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linda Mindrutiu and W. Hunter West handled the case for the government.