Quest Diagnostics, Inc., one of the world’s leading providers of medical testing services, will pay $1,790,000 to settle allegations that it fraudulently performed duplicative lab tests and double billed the federal Medicare program for the procedures.

The settlement was the result of a whistleblower lawsuit brought on behalf of former Quest employee Eliza Martinez.

She was represented by Michael I. Behn of Behn & Wyetzner in Evanston, Illinois and Michael A. Hirst of the Hirst Law Group in Davis, California.

“The government needed a brave employee to come forward and blow the whistle. Ms. Martinez was that employee,” said Hirst. “She alleged that Quest was performing unreasonable and unnecessary lab tests.”

“Ms. Martinez’ goals were to end Quest’s allegedly unlawful billing practices and to recover funds for U.S. taxpayers,” said Behn. “We believe this settlement fully achieved both objectives.”

Medicare, the federal health program for seniors which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, pays only for reasonable and necessary lab tests.”

Martinez alleged that, based on what she observed in the patient service centers, Quest was performing duplicate tests on the same patients on the same day, and billing Medicare twice for the procedures.

After the complaint was filed, he U.S. Department of Justice investigated and substantiated the allegations.