Dr. David Bellamah, a vascular surgeon with offices in Missoula and Kalispell, without admitting liability, will pay $3.7 million to the federal government to settle violations of the False Claims Act, alleging that he performed unnecessary surgeries and then submitted fraudulent claims to federal programs for payment.

Claire Howard, Public Affairs Officer with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for Montana provided these details.

“A Missoula vascular surgeon who operates Bellamah surgery centers in Missoula and Kalispell has agreed to pay the federal government $3.7 million to settle alleged False Claims Act violations that he performed medically unnecessary surgeries based on improper techniques and submitted fraudulent bills for payments to federal health care programs,” said Howard.

Howard said that Dr. Bellamah agreed to a civil settlement in the case.

“Dr. David Bellamah and his business Bellamah Vein and Surgery, doing business as Bellamah Vein Center has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the US Attorney's Office for the District of Montana, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the defense health agency, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and a third party, Lenore Lezanne,” she said.

Howard detailed the financial arrangements of the agreement.

“The terms of the settlement require Bellamah and his company to pay a settlement amount of $3,746,324,” she said. “The settlement agreement resolved a civil complaint alleging violations of the False Claims Act and other common law claims. The civil complaint and intervention was filed today (Wednesday) in US District Court for the District of Montana, along with a stipulation to dismiss the case.”

The press release clearly states that the agreement is ‘neither an admission of liability by Dr. Bellamah, nor is it a concession by the U.S. Department of Justice that the claims were not well founded’.

The Bellamah family provided this statement via Facebook.

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