Florida eye practice agrees to $350,000 settlement over alleged Medicare kickback-related claims

St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute and its owner, Dr. John Michaelos, agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve US allegations under the False Claims Act. The United States alleged that, from 2015 to 2020, the practice received per-patient or per-test payments from Eyecuity for TCD referrals, contrary to contractual terms, and that related claims overstated medical necessity.

The parties admitted and accepted responsibility for facts underlying the settlement agreement. The resolution is a civil settlement and does not represent a criminal conviction; the source does not report criminal charges or a trial finding.