Physician faces pending FCA complaint over neurostimulator billing
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0174 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 4 · Pending litigation
DOJ alleges that Dr. Michael Neret billed nearly $500,000 for surgical neurostimulator procedures that were not performed. The complaint instead describes brief office electro-acupuncture sessions using inexpensive devices. It is a pending civil case, with no determination of liability.
What happened
The September 29 DOJ announcement describes a False Claims Act lawsuit against Dr. Michael Neret, who owns and manages Neret MD Medical Clinic in Bay City and Lake Jackson. The complaint alleges nearly $500,000 in Medicare billing for surgical neurostimulator electrode implantations. DOJ describes those billed procedures as complex surgeries requiring an operating room and reimbursed at thousands of dollars each. The central allegation is that the surgeries billed were not the services patients actually received.
Instead, the complaint alleges that non-physician practitioners and non-clinical staff used inexpensive electro-acupuncture devices during short office visits, inserting small wires into patients’ skin and securing devices behind their ears. It further alleges that Neret encouraged use of devices he knew were not billable and used the procedures to justify pain-management narcotic prescriptions. DOJ expressly states that the claims are allegations and that liability has not been determined. The case therefore supports comparison of codes, setting, equipment and clinical documentation; it does not establish a judgment, settlement or blanket prohibition on legitimate neurostimulation treatment.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Pending litigation
- Applicability
- Operationally relevant
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Why it matters
The alleged mismatch is between the surgical service billed and the device, personnel and office procedure actually used. Reviewing a code in isolation would miss the setting and delivery evidence needed to evaluate that claim.
Recommended action
Compare procedure codes with clinical records, devices and place-of-service evidence; escalate unsupported surgical billing.
Case details
- agencies
- U.S. Department of Justice
- entities
- Dr. Michael Neret
- action Type
- Civil complaint
- event Date
- 2026-09-29
- alleged Conduct
- DOJ alleges nearly $500,000 in Medicare billing for surgical neurostimulator electrode implantations. The complaint remains pending; liability has not been determined.
- resolution
- Charges or complaint pending; no determination of guilt or liability.
Operational lessons
- Compare procedure codes with clinical records, devices and place-of-service evidence; escalate unsupported surgical billing.
Sources
- Physician faces pending FCA complaint over neurostimulator billingOfficial · HHS OIG, official enforcement announcement · 2026-09-29 · Source review 2026-10-11
- DOJ, physician’s pending neurostimulator-billing False Claims Act caseOfficial · U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas · 2026-09-29 · Source review 2026-10-14
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