California Doctor to Pay $6.73 Million to Settle Medicare Fraud Allegations

A Huntington Park-based physician and his medical practice have agreed to pay more than $6.73 million to resolve allegations they defrauded Medicare by performing unnecessary vascular procedures on elderly patients over an eight-year period.

Dr. Feliciano Serrano of Serrano Kidney & Vascular Access Center allegedly performed medically unnecessary dialysis access interventions, including angioplasty and stent procedures, on 18 Medicare patients between 2016 and 2024, according to federal prosecutors.

Federal investigators found that Dr. Serrano scheduled interventional procedures on a routine basis without waiting for complications to present, violating standard medical protocols. In many cases, he repeatedly performed procedures on patients every few days or weeks despite no evidence of clinical benefit.

In one particularly egregious example, a single Medicare patient received approximately 42 stents in their dialysis segment over a seven-year period—including during a time when Dr. Serrano had informed the patient they didn’t require dialysis at all.

The settlement also resolves allegations that between 2019 and 2024, Dr. Serrano performed unnecessary peripheral artery disease interventions on 17 patients, purportedly to treat stenosis in their legs. Prosecutors claim these patients had only mild or no stenosis and minimal symptoms that didn’t warrant such aggressive treatment.

“Dr. Serrano performed procedures on vessels that didn’t qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice,” said a Justice Department spokesperson. “He also overstated the degree of stenosis to make the procedures appear to meet medical standards when they didn’t.”

According to court documents, the physician frequently performed bilateral procedures even when patients complained of symptoms in only one leg. He would then repeat these procedures on both legs every few months. Investigators found that Dr. Serrano routinely told patients they risked amputation if they refused treatment, despite there being little actual risk for patients with only mild symptoms.

The government alleged Dr. Serrano falsified medical records to justify unnecessary procedures, including documenting non-existent symptoms and conservative therapy measures. One Medicare patient underwent approximately 16 atherectomies—procedures to remove plaque from arteries—in their legs between 2019 and 2023.

Under the terms of the settlement, Dr. Serrano will pay nearly $6.51 million to the federal government and approximately $229,000 to the State of California.

“False claims to Medicare and Medicaid cause millions of dollars in losses to the government,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bilal A. Essayli of the Central District of California. “This settlement sends a clear message to physicians that the United States will zealously pursue appropriate action against those who submit false claims for taxpayer funds.”

The case emerged from a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Lincoln Analytics, Inc. under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allows private parties to file actions on behalf of the government and receive a portion of any recovery. Lincoln Analytics will receive approximately $976,000 as its share of the federal recovery.

This settlement underscores the Biden Administration’s intensified focus on healthcare fraud. Earlier this year, the administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to strengthen efforts against fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and the California Department of Justice, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Federal authorities emphasized that the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability in the case.

Healthcare providers and patients can report suspected fraud to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).