By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "Catch of the Week" goes to Pennsylvania-based hospital chain Vibra Healthcare LLC. On Wednesday, the company agreed to pay $32.7 million to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for medically unnecessary services. Vibra operates roughly three-dozen long term care hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation...
By Ronny Valdes
On September 22, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS OIG) released a report finding that Washington State made incorrect Medicaid incentive payments for the “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR). The incentive payment structure was created by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act)...
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "Catch of the Week" goes to North American Health Care Inc. On Monday, the California-based operator of dozens of skilled nursing facilities -- along with its Chairman John Sorenson and Senior Vice President of Reimbursement Analysis Margaret Gelvezon -- agreed to pay $30 million to resolve charges they violated the False Claims Act by billing...
By Max Voldman
Monday’s announcement of the DOJ’s $28.5 million settlement with North American Health Care (“North American”) is the latest in a disturbing trend of healthcare companies profiting off of medically unnecessary services provided (and sometimes not even provided) to America’s seniors. North American, a chain of 35 nursing homes in California, allegedly billed thousands of procedures to...
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "Catch of the Week" goes to medical equipment supply companies U.S. Healthcare Supply LLC and Oxford Diabetic Supply Inc. On Wednesday, the two companies, along with their owners and presidents, agreed to pay more than $12.2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by making unsolicited calls to Medicare...
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "Catch of the Week" goes to Jacksonville-based Physicians Group Services, P.A., doing business as Coastal Spine and Pain. On Wednesday, the surgery and pain-management clinic agreed to pay $7.4 million to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by performing medically unnecessary drug screening procedures. See DOJ Press...
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "Catch of the Week" goes to Olympus Corp. of America, the country's largest distributor of endoscopes and related equipment. On Tuesday, the company agreed to pay $623.2 million to resolve criminal charges and civil claims for the company's violations of the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute through a scheme to pay kickbacks to...
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "Catch of the Week" goes to New York-based CenterLight Healthcare, Inc. and CenterLight Health System, Inc. Yesterday, the companies agreed to pay $46.7 million to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and New York State False Claims Acts by enrolling ineligible members in their Medicaid managed long-term care plan. ...
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
In what might be a first of its kind for whistleblowers and the government, this past Friday there were four significant government fraud recoveries all initiated by whistleblowers. In the midst of what is certainly an ever-expanding parade of whistleblower-prompted fraud settlements by the government, this may be the only time four major settlements were announced in a single...