Dr. Matthew Lester
A Circuit Court complaint says a Chattanooga chiropractor improperly billed BlueCross multiple times and also violated his employment agreement.
Total Health PLLC, a local chiropractic group, is suing Dr. Matthew Aaron Lester, who formerly worked for the group.
The complaint says Dr. Lester entered into a contract with Total Health on June 12, 2013. It says he agreed that during the term of the contract and for two years afterward he would not solicit any of the group's patients or try to get an employee of the group to leave and join him. He is also not to use any confidential information from Total Health.
The contract also says that if Dr. Lester left Total Health he was not to practice within 10 miles of the primary site where he was working for Total Health. He worked at Total Health's office at 3742 Tennessee Ave. in St. Elmo.
The complaint says while he was still with Total Health Dr. Lester approached the principal of Total Health for a $25,000 loan.The loan was made on Oct. 13, 2015. The suit says Dr. Lester did not make any payments on the loan for an extended period. It says after a demand was made for payment on the loan he made a single $700 payment.
The suit, filed by attorney Stephen Duggins, says while Dr. Lester was with Total Health he improperly billed BlueCross on multiple occasions. It says BlueCross audited Dr. Lester's billings and found that it was overbilled in the amount of $45,550.54. Total Health had to reimburse that amount to BlueCross.
Dr. Lester is now working at Lookout Valley Chiropractic at 3536 Cummings Highway in Lookout Valley, it was stated. It says the location is within 10 miles of the St. Elmo office.
It says Dr. Lester may be exploring the purchase of the business.
The suit says Dr. Lester used confidential information from Total Health in setting up his practice in Lookout Valley.
It says on multiple occasions he has solicited Total Health patients, causing some Total Health patients to leave.
The suit says Dr. Lester on multiple occasions tried to solicit a Total Health employee to leave her employment and join his office.
It says he also solicited a Total Health chiropractor, Dr. Robert Moore, to leave Total Health and join him. Dr. Moore tendered his resignation effective June 1 and is set to begin working for Dr. Lester in Lookout Valley, according to the complaint.
Total Health is seeking compensation of up to $100,000 from Dr. Lester as well as the enforcement of its contract with him.