Elite Integrated Medical LLC and its owner, Justin Paulk, must pay $287,631 in restitution as required by a consent judgment obtained by the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
Attorney General Chris Carr announced that the judgment prohibits Elite, formerly known as Superior Healthcare of Woodstock, LLC d/b/a Superior Healthcare Group, Superior Healthcare Sandy Springs and Superior Healthcare Morrow, from selling or advertising stem cell therapy products or services.
This consent order is the culmination of a lawsuit filed in September 2020 in which the state alleged that Elite violated the Fair Business Practices Act by making false and deceptive advertising representations about the effectiveness and regulatory status of stem cell therapies.
“The use of unproven products or therapies can put a consumer’s health and financial well-being at risk,” said Carr. “Businesses that make unsubstantiated claims and violate the law will be held accountable, particularly when they target our older or at-risk adults.”
The state alleged that Elite made millions of dollars by using aggressive marketing techniques and high-pressure sales tactics to convince hundreds of consumers, most of whom were elderly and/or disabled, to purchase expensive, unproven medical treatments that are not covered by Medicare or health insurance. The complaint further alleged that Elite misrepresented the role of medical doctors in providing patient care and that it deceptively featured a customer testimonial without revealing that it came from the owner of the company’s advertising agency.
The judgment requires Elite to pay $137,631 in restitution to identified consumers who filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division that has not otherwise been resolved. Elite must also pay another $150,000 to the Consumer Protection Division for a restitution fund for consumers who file eligible claims by Aug. 1.
Consumers who paid Elite for products that are the subject of the state’s claims may be entitled to compensation under the consent order and should fill out and submit a prescribed claim form, along with supporting documentation, to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
To be considered for restitution, claim forms must be postmarked or faxed no later than 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 1.
To be eligible for a restitution payment, the claim must meet the following criteria:
- The claim must involve the purchase of a regenerative medicine product that is the subject of the State’s Fair Business Practices Act claims and must include documentation of that purchase; and
- The consumer must not have received a previous refund, restitution payment, or settlement for the claim.
Filing a claim
Completed claims and any documentation should be submitted by mail, overnight delivery or fax to:
Georgia Department of Law – Consumer Protection Division
ATTN: Elite Restitution
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, Suite 356
Atlanta, GA 30334-9077
Fax number: (404) 651-9018
Claims may not be submitted by email. Claims must be postmarked or faxed no later than 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 1.
Read important patient information from the FDA about regenerative medicine therapies online.