Federal Court Orders Connecticut Psychiatrist to Pay Over $400,000 for Improper Billing
A federal court has mandated that Connecticut psychiatrist Halina Snowball, along with her practice Pain Management, LLC, pay $427,129.11 to settle allegations of submitting false claims and improper billing to the Connecticut Medicare program, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
Snowball, the sole owner of Pain Management, LLC in Stamford, faced allegations regarding the improper billing practices tied to office visits, particularly evaluation and management services. The government claimed that from April 2017 to November 2019, Snowball utilized Modifier 25 incorrectly on Medicare claims for evaluation and management services, in relation to pain injections. This modifier is intended to indicate that a significant, separately identifiable service was provided alongside another procedure on the same day.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General reported that, after being notified in November 2019 about the improper use of Modifier 25, Snowball and her practice continued to submit improper claims until August 2023. The ongoing violations prompted a thorough investigation, resulting in the recent civil settlement agreement with federal authorities.
Officials have emphasized the importance of reporting suspected healthcare fraud and encourage the public to contact 1-800-HHS-TIPS if they observe any suspicious activities.
This case highlights the critical need for compliance in healthcare billing practices and underscores the government’s commitment to addressing fraudulent activities within the Medicare system.
For further inquiries, Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com.
Originally Published: May 17, 2025 at 10:21 AM EDT.
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