July 8, 2020
An orthopedic hospital, its management company, a physician’s group, and two physicians have agreed to pay $72.3 million to resolve whistleblower-brought allegations under the Anti-Kickback Statute, federal False Claims Act, and Oklahoma Medicaid False Claims Act of defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. Between 2006 and 2018, the Oklahoma Center for Orthopaedic and Multi-Specialty Surgery (OCOM) and its part-owner and management company, USP OKC, Inc. and USP OKC Manager, Inc. (collectively USP), allegedly provided free or below-fair market rate services and compensation to Southwest Orthopaedic Specialists, PLLC (SOS), including SOS physicians Anthony Cruse, D.O., and R.J. Langerman, Jr., D.O., in exchange for patient referrals. USP also allegedly offered preferential investment opportunities to physicians in Texas. As part of the settlement, USP will pay $60.86 million to the United States, $5 million to the State of Oklahoma, and $206,000 to the State of Texas, while SOS and its physician defendants will pay $5.7 million to the United States and $495,619 to the State of Oklahoma. DOJ
Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, FCA State, Healthcare Fraud, Medicaid, Medicare, Other Government Health Programs, Whistleblower Case,