Archive

Takeda Pays $13.7M to Settle False Claims Act Violations of Paying Kickbacks to Physicians

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Last Thursday (May 14), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay roughly $13.7 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute by paying kickbacks to healthcare providers to induce prescriptions of Takeda’s Trintellix antidepressant medication.[1]

What Type of Kickbacks Did...

PET Scan Provider to Pay $8.3M to Resolve Allegations of Kickbacks and False Claims Act Violations

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team California-based medical scan provider, Modern Nuclear Inc. (MNI), agreed to pay $8,334,350, and additional money based on future revenue, to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying referring cardiologists hefty fees to supervise positron emission tomography (PET) scans, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.[1]

What Did the Alleged...

Owner of Telemedicine and DME Companies Pleads Guilty for Role in $46.2 Million Fraud Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On March 27, Christopher Harwood, the owner of telemedicine company TelevisitMD and a number of durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud for his role in a $46.2 million scheme.[1]

Harwood’s Businesses

Harwood was the owner and operator of TelevisitMD, a telemedicine company.[2]...

Mississippi Resident to Pay $31M for Alleged Involvement in Healthcare Kickback Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On March 19, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that the government secured a civil judgment against Mississippi resident Robert L. Crites for allegedly orchestrating a commission-based referral scheme in violation of the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute. The scheme targeted federal healthcare programs.[1] A federal judge entered...

Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates Pays $4.75M to Settle Allegations of Kickbacks and Unnecessary Medical Testing Services

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team To resolve allegations of kickbacks and medically unnecessary services, Georgia-based Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates agreed to pay a False Claims Act settlement of $4.75 million.[1]

The Alleged Scheme: Unnecessary Medical Testing and Lab Services Kickbacks

According to the United States, starting around May 2017, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates contracted...

Florida Nursing Assistant Convicted in $11.4M Medicare Fraud Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On January 22, a federal jury convicted Florida-based nursing assistant and durable medical equipment (DME) supplier owner Christian “Chris” Cruz for his role in an $11.4 million healthcare fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.[1]

What Was the Alleged Scheme?

According to prosecutors, Cruz  submitted false claims for hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries and they were...

Two Plead Guilty to $68M Brooklyn Adult Day Care and Home Healthcare Fraud Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On January 15, Elaine Antao and Manal Wasef pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Medicaid by offering kickbacks for services not rendered at two Brooklyn social adult day cares and a home healthcare company. The proceedings took place before United States District Judge Natasha C. Merle in federal court in Brooklyn. Each defendant faces up to 10 years in...

Whistleblower-Initiated Case: DOJ Files FCA Complaint Against Priority Hospital Group and Three LTCHs

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On January 16, the government filed a False Claims Act complaint against Priority Hospital Group LLC (PHG), a Louisiana-based hospital management company, three PHG-managed long term care hospitals, and a doctor alleging they submitted false claims for medically unnecessary care and engaged in improper patient referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback and Stark Law.

Traditions Health Pays $34M to Settle False Claims Act Charges of Medically Unnecessary Home Health Services

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Last Thursday (January 22), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Tennessee-based Traditions Health agreed to pay $34 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law by billing Medicare for medically unnecessary home health services and paying kickbacks to physicians in exchange for referrals.[1] ...

Florida Ophthalmology Practices Agree to Pay Nearly $6M in Whistleblower Case Involving Transcranial Doppler Ultrasounds

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Five Florida ophthalmology practices, Clay Eye Holdings LLC, Retina Macula Specialists of Miami LLC, Florida Eye Institute P.A., Miami Eye LLC, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc., agreed to pay roughly $6 million to settle allegations that they submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid in violation of the False Claims Act. [1] According to the government, the...