Bad website advertising on SDN

[PMR 4 MSK]

So while I was on SDN today, I notice a banner ad at the top for setting up NCV in a doctor's office. After clicking on it, it confirmed my suspicions that this is a fly-by-night organization (although I'm sure they will dispute that) that will setup untrained docs to do inexperienced NCVs without needle exams and bill for them. By AANEM standards, this should constitute fraudulent billing. I'm actually suprised SDN would allow this.

I do recognize that this is a google ad and SDN might not have a direct relationship with the company, but I also believe there are ways of stopping certain ads from being displayed on your website when using google ads.

I would ask that SDN look in to banning this ad from the website as contrary to the practice of standards of medicine and correct coding.

For questions about AANEM positions and recommendations on the use of EMG/NCS, please see their website: http://www.aanem.org/practiceissues/positionstatements/positionstatements.cfm

For those who don't currently see the ad, when I clicked on it, this is the website it took me to:

http://www.teleemg.com/about.htm?gclid=CInvxLj3v50CFRnyDAoddH5e8g

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Ludicolo]

For those who don't currently see the ad, when I clicked on it, this is the website it took me to:

http://www.teleemg.com/about.htm?gclid=CInvxLj3v50CFRnyDAoddH5e8g

100% agree. Thanks for catching this. That website has actually been around for a while, but I don’t ever recall seeing that section of it. Don't think I've ever seen a cheesier video either.

Challenge to the residents: Scroll down and open up the two sample reports. Examine the data and read their impressions. Report back to us. Understand what we’re up against.

 

[SDN]

Google ads are targeted to the individual for the most part; so the ads you see will be different than the ads other members see.

To report fraudulent activity, I'd recommend contacting Google AdWords directly so they can remove this advertiser from their entire system. Go to: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/request.py?display=feedback

If there are multiple complaints that can clearly detail the issue, it will help Google in their investigation of this advertiser.

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

Complaint registered with google

 

[lobelsteve]

Click on the about us section of their website and it provides no clue as to who is running that company.

So an educated guess is that it is a sham chiropractor running a shady business. It would be great to crack into their books, see who they "trained", what qualifications they have, and expose them for contributing to increased cost of healthcare for overutilization and having improper personnel performing studies.

I consider only BCBE PMR and Neurology appropriate for doing these studies.

 

[topwise]

Challenge to the residents: Scroll down and open up the two sample reports. Examine the data and read their impressions. Report back to us. Understand what we’re up against.

Reporting back: yikes. Tarsal tunnel syndrome??

 

[RUOkie]

While I can't say for sure, I would suspect that this website is run by NeuroMetrix, the makers of the NC-Stat machine. I suspect this only because the sample reports look similar, and they are both based in Mass.

Interestingly, the CPT codes that they demonstrate would be considered fraudulant. There is a new CPT code in CPT-09 for automated/preformulated NCS testing.

Most Fiscal intermediaries have a policy that they will audit any practice that bills more than 25% of their NCS testing without a concominate EMG code. (Including Trailblazers who does OK, TX, NM, and a few other states)

 

[Ludicolo]

Reporting back: yikes. Tarsal tunnel syndrome??

Yikes indeed. Other than the obvious lack of needle EMG data:

Report 1:

Interesting arbitrary markings of the left and right peroneal F-wave latencies. Interesting change in morphology of the peroneal CMAPs when stimulating in the popliteal fossa. Interesting findings of increased peroneal amplitudes proximally compared to distally. Interesting initial positive deflections on the tibial motor studies. Interesting missed complete conduction block in the left tibial motor study. Interesting lack of documentation of any sensory and motor abnormalities in the upper extremities, to demonstrate extent of "neuropathy".

This study is technically unreliable, and thus crap.

Report 2:

Interesting missed partial conduction block in the right peroneal motor study. Therefore, these are not normal nerve conduction studies, as the impression suggests. This study is also crap. Although maybe not as crap as the first study.

 

[Ludicolo]

While I can't say for sure, I would suspect that this website is run by NeuroMetrix, the makers of the NC-Stat machine. I suspect this only because the sample reports look similar, and they are both based in Mass.

Interestingly, the CPT codes that they demonstrate would be considered fraudulant. There is a new CPT code in CPT-09 for automated/preformulated NCS testing.

Most Fiscal intermediaries have a policy that they will audit any practice that bills more than 25% of their NCS testing without a concominate EMG code. (Including Trailblazers who does OK, TX, NM, and a few other states)

These companies prey on the poor and the weak – the struggling non-PM&R or non-neurologist without an adequate working knowledge of neurophysiology looking to make a little extra money in their practice. They advertise at IM and FM meetings, never at PM&R or neurology meetings. Products like the nc-stat are often sold along with a handy dandy pamphlet teaching you how use the “appropriate” CPT codes. They just happen to leave out the little part about improper coding and fraud.