August 29th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

Local phyisician Dr. Melvin Gonzaga, his son Rommel Gonzaga, and their practice will pay $980,000 to resolve allegations of false claims for urine drug testing that were deemed unnecessary. According to the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, the practice was accused of billing Medicare, Medicaid, and the Railroad Retirement Board for a large number of tests which were ordered January 1, 2016 through March 31, 2019.

Gonzaga, a board-certified anethesiologist and pain management specialist owns Gonzaga Interventional Pain Management in Lavale. His son, Rommel Gonzaga, serves as the practice's chief executive officer. The settlement resolves the allegations that the tests billed to the governemnt were not ordered based on a medical necessity for each patient. The settlement was not an admission of liability by the practice.