February 6, 2017

U.S. hospital service provider TeamHealth Holdings (as successor in interest to IPC Healthcare Inc., f/k/a IPC The Hospitalists Inc.), agreed to pay $60 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare, Medicaid, the Defense Health Agency and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for higher and more expensive levels of medical service than were actually performed (a practice known as “up-coding”).  The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Bijan Oughatiyan, a physician formerly employed by IPC as a hospitalist.  He will receive a whistleblower award of roughly $11.4 million.  DOJ

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Medicaid, Medicare, Other Government Health Programs, Upcoding, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,