◆ Michigan vascular surgeon Vasso Godiali has pleaded guilty in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross/Blue Shield out of about $19.5 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said Feb. 8.^[1] “Godiali’s false and fraudulent billing includes admissions related to claims for the placement of stents in dialysis patients and for the treatment of arterial blood clots. Godiali admitted that he billed for the placement of multiple stents in the same vessel, and prepared medical records purporting to document the medical necessity justifying that billing,” the U.S. attorney’s office said. “In fact, Godiali did not place those stents, and he admitted to billing the insurers for services never rendered while preparing materially inaccurate medical records to justify the fraudulent billing.”