CMS Official Fined $20,000, Medical License Suspended

Baltimore

CMS Medical Director Sean Tunis has agreed to a one-year suspension of his medical license and a $20,000 fine for falsifying documents to show he met continuing medical education requirements.

The physician was placed on administrative leave by CMS in April, a few months after the Maryland Board of Physicians charged him with falsifying records, failing to comply with subpoenas and unprofessional conduct. The board’s 15-page charging document accused Tunis of falsely claiming to have completed 50 credit hours of continuing medical education — required to maintain a medical license in the state — and submitting altered documents to investigators.

Tunis admitted to falsifying documents and signed a consent order from the Maryland board May 25. In addition to a fine and license suspension, the order also requires Tunis to take an ethics course and complete 35 hours of continuing medical education credits.

CMS officials would not comment on whether Tunis would return to his position as medical director and director of the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality. Since Tunis’ departure, Barry Straube of CMS’ Region IX in San Francisco has been serving as CMS’ acting chief medical officer.