Five Midlands doctors' offices to close

Editor's note: Family Medicine Centers of South Carolina was not found guilty of fraud. The company reached a settlement in September to resolve allegations. An earlier version of this story was incorrect.

Five Midlands doctors' offices will close around May 31, according to letters sent to their patients.

The letters gave no reason for the closures. But in September, the company that owns the offices, Family Medicine Centers of South Carolina, agreed to a settlement with the federal government over accusations of false Medicare and TRICARE billings.

TRICARE is the health care program for military service members and their families around the world.

Family Medicine Centers and its co-owner, former chief executive Dr. Stephen Serbin, agreed in September to pay the government about $2 million to settle the case. At the time, the company "adamantly" denied any wrongdoing, taking special exception to "the defamatory allegations that service members and their families were targeted for allegedly unnecessary tests," the company said.

The financial settlement was a business decision only, made to avoid years of costly litigation, the company said.

The Department of Justice said in September that the "claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability."

Serbin also agreed to have nothing to do with the management of the practice for five years, to appoint an independent organization to review claims every year, and institute other management changes.

Company co-founder Peter Stahl said the closure was caused by financial reasons. He said the company's goal is to have an "orderly" shutdown that provides the opportunity for continuity of care for patients and gives staff members, some of whom have worked with Family Medicine Centers for 30 years, time to find other employment.

The company has sent letters to all of its patients, pledging to help them find new health care providers.

The offices are:

▪ Springwood Lake Family Practice

▪ Saluda Pointe Family Medicine

▪ Midtown Family Medicine

▪ Lake Murray Family Medicine

▪ Woodhill Family Medicine

This story was originally published April 6, 2018 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Five Midlands doctors' offices to close."