Doctor’s firm fined for overbilling
Star-Bulletin staff
A federal judge sentenced a corporation headed by prominent Honolulu dermatologist Norman Goldstein to five years' probation yesterday for overbilling Hawaii Medical Service Association more than $178,000 for acne procedures.
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright also ordered Norman Goldstein, M.D., Inc. to pay a $316,642 fine and $39,720 in restitution. In a plea agreement with federal prosecutors last year, Goldstein pleaded guilty on behalf of the corporation to billing HMSA for about 20,000 acne surgeries when HMSA members received less expensive cryotherapy procedures.
His lawyer Brook Hart said the overbilling was the result of Goldstein's office staff using the wrong billing code. Goldstein pleaded guilty because he did not properly supervise the staff to use the proper code, Hart said.
Goldstein continues to practice medicine but has moved his practice from downtown Honolulu to the Queen's Physicians Office Building under Derm Docs LLC.