Moline doctor sued over postal worker injections

By Dustin Lemmon | Thursday, June 28, 2007

The U.S. government has filed suit against a Moline doctor it claims overcharged it for injections for two injured local postal workers.

Dr. Joseph Azer allegedly provided medical treatment for the two workers totalling $14,201 for one and $11,614 for the other, the suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, Rock Island, states.

The suit was filed under the false claims act.

Efforts to reach Azer for comment were unsuccessful.

According to the suit, Azer billed the U.S. Department of Labor for approximately 61 injections for one worker from July 2005 to January 2006, but the doctor later said it was not that many and that amount was “ridiculous.” He said it was 23 injections.

Azer allegedly billed the department for 44 injections for the second man from July to December 2005, and when questioned said the number was “totally inaccurate” and “ridiculous.” He said he gave five to six injections to the second man.

According to the government, there were 38 false billings for each worker.

— Dustin Lemmon