Healthcare fraud and abuse in spine surgery: a review of medicolegal actions brought by the United States federal government
Most cases of healthcare fraud involving spine surgery resulted in a settlement (78%) or a guilty plea by the defendant (18%). Violations of healthcare fraud and abuse laws in the field of spine surgery can lead to exorbitant fines, exclusion from federal healthcare programs, and even incarceration. These findings can inform spine surgeons and other healthcare providers of the dynamics of healthcare fraud and abuse laws, as well as the consequences of violating such statutes.
Authors
- Kathleen Botterbush (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2721-0684)
- Andrew T. Dailey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8208-621X)
- Tobias A. Mattei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8024-7094)
- Deborah S. O'Malley
- Justin K. Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8170-4733)
- Jack Gerling
- Marcus Mazur
- Lawson E. Spence
- Mark A. Mahan
- Philippe Mercier
Institutions
- University of Missouri–St. Louis (US)
- University of Utah (US)
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders (US)
- Saint Louis University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Neurosurgery Spine
- Published
- 2026-02-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3171/2025.10.spine25148
- Primary Topic
- Medical Malpractice and Liability Issues
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00