Contact

Click here for a confidential contact or call:

1-212-350-2774

Archive

Page 81 of 129

December 1, 2017

Dr. Arthur S. Portnow, the owner and operator of Arthur S. Portnow, P.A. (d/b/a Apple Medical and Cardiovascular Group) agreed to pay $1.95 million to resolve allegations that he and his practice violated the False Claims Act by knowingly seeking reimbursement for medically unnecessary ultrasound tests that were performed on Medicare beneficiaries.  The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act Kathleen Siwicki, a former employee of Dr. Portnow’s practice.  She will receive a whistleblower award of roughly $350,000 from the proceeds of the government's recovery.  DOJ (MDFL)

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Lack of Medical Necessity, Provider Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

November 30, 2017

Florida-based Express Plus Pharmacy, LLC and its owner Antonio Primo agreed to pay $170,000 to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent claims to Tricare for compounded medications such as pain creams that were not reimbursable because they were not issued pursuant to valid physician-patient relationships, were issued after brief phone calls with patients that violated applicable law on telemedicine, were medically unnecessary, and/or were tainted by kickbacks to marketers.  DOJ (SDFL)

Tagged in: Compounding Pharmacy Fraud, FCA Federal, Lack of Medical Necessity, Medical Billing Fraud, Other Government Health Programs, Pharma Fraud,

November 28, 2017

California-based Cardiovascular Consultants Heart Center and its shareholder physicians -- Dr. Kevin Boran, Dr. Michael Gen, Dr. Rohit Sundrani, Dr. Donald Gregory, and Dr. William Hanks -- agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act by billing Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary cardiovascular diagnostic procedures.  According to the government, company physicians automatically scheduled patients for nuclear stress tests on an annual basis without seeing the patients beforehand to confirm the procedure was necessary.  These test are expensive and expose patients to a significant amount of radiation as well as to the risk of invasive procedures based on false positive results.  This risk is only justified if the nuclear stress test is medically necessary.  DOJ (EDCA)

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Lack of Medical Necessity, Provider Fraud,

November 17, 2017

Meadows Regional Medical Center, Inc. agreed to pay up to $12,875,000 to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law by submitting claims referred by physicians with whom Meadows had improper compensation arrangements.  DOJ (SDGA)

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Hospital Fraud,

November 17, 2017

New York-based defense contractor Telephonics Corporation agreed to pay $4,250,000 to settle claims it violated the False Claims Act by overbilling the government under certain contracts to provide vehicle-mounted counter-improvised explosive device systems (Warlock Systems) to the Army and multi-mode radar systems (LAMPS Systems) to the Navy.  DOJ (EDNY)

Tagged in: Defense Contract Fraud, Falsifying Invoices, FCA Federal,

November 16, 2017

Georgia-based not-for-profit Hyperion Foundation, its former president Julie Mittleider, Georgia-based nursing home management company AltaCare Corporation, its CEO Douglas Mittleider, and related companies Long Term Care Services Inc. and Sentry Healthcare Acquirors Inc. agreed to pay $1.25 million to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act by providing grossly substandard care to residents at the Oxford Health and Rehabilitation nursing home in Mississippi when it was operated by AltaCare under a contract with Hyperion.  The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act by Academy Health Center Inc., the owner and landlord of the Mississippi skilled nursing facility.  Academy will receive a whistleblower award in an undisclosed amount from the proceeds of the government's recovery.  DOJ

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Medical Billing Fraud, SNF, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

November 16, 2017

Four San Diego-area nursing homes owned by Los Angeles-based Brius Management Co. agreed to pay as much as $6.9 million to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickbacks Statute by paying kickbacks for patient referrals to discharge planners at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.  The four nursing homes involved are Point Loma Convalescent Hospital, Brighton Place – San Diego, Brighton Place – Spring Valley, and Amaya Springs Health Care Center.  The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act by Viki Bell-Manako, a former employee of one of the Brius nursing homes.  She will receive a whistleblower award of 20% of the proceeds of the government's recovery.  DOJ (CDCA)

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, SNF, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

November 14, 2017

Ohio-based Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. and New Jersey-based Progressive Garden State Insurance Co., part of the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, one of the nation’s largest auto insurance providers, agreed to pay more than $2 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by causing Medicare and Medicaid to pay for claims for which the companies were responsible. The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The whistleblower will receive an award of more than $600,000 from the proceeds of the government's recovery. DOJ (DNJ)

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Financial and Investment Fraud, Government Procurement Fraud, Healthcare Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

October 31, 2017

Stephen G. Ackerman agreed to pay $200,000 to settle charges he violated the False Claims Act by improperly accepting Social Security Disability Income payments and misleading the Social Security Administration by failing to disclose his work on behalf of Organic Alternatives, a marijuana retail business Mr. Ackerman owns and operates.  DOJ (DCO)

Tagged in: FCA Federal,

October 30, 2017

Ohio-based Chemed Corporation and various wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Vitas Hospice Services LLC and Vitas Healthcare Corporation, agreed to pay $75 million to resolve charges they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for hospice services to Medicare for patients not terminally ill.  Vitas is the largest for-profit hospice chain in the United States and was acquired by Chemed in 2004.  The government alleged the defendants rewarded employees with bonuses for the number of patients receiving hospice services, without regard to whether they were actually terminally ill and whether they would have benefited from continuing curative care.  The government further alleged that Vitas submitted false claims to Medicare for continuous home care services that were not necessary, not actually provided, or not performed in accordance with Medicare requirements.  The allegations originated in several whistleblower lawsuits filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  The whistleblowers will receive a portion of the proceeds of the government's recovery.  DOJ

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Home Health and Hospice, Lack of Medical Necessity, Medical Billing Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

1 … 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 … 129

Newsletter

Subscribe to receive email updates from the Constantine Cannon blogs

Sign up for: