Meriden Pain Center Agrees To Settle Over False Claim Allegations

MERIDEN, CT — The owner of a pain management center with offices in Derby and Meriden agreed to a $425,000 civil settlement after the center allegedly improperly billed Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid for urine drug screening tests.

The federal government alleged that Dr. Mark Thimineur and Comprehensive Pain and Headache Treatment Centers submitted claims for alcohol and amphetamine tests when the tests were already components of drug screening tests that had already been submitted for claims, according to the U.S. Attorney District of Connecticut Office.

It is also alleged that the company submitted claims for quantitative drug testing when that type of testing wasn't performed. Quantitative testing determines the concentration of drug or metabolites in urine while qualitative testing determines the presence or absence of those chemicals.