You may have heard of an event called a “Botox party”. The basic concept is that a group of people get together and “share” a vial of Botox to address signs of age which may appear on a person’s face. These “events” are paid for individually and do not in…
“HOW LOW CAN YOU GO” Just when you think fraudsters can’t reach a new low, you read about Michael Mann, the owner of Seattle-based Wheelchairs Plus. Mr. Mann has been ordered to pay $2.7 million for fraudulently billing the Medicaid program for 119 new wheelchairs. Unfortunately, what Mann delivered were…
The Department of Justice announced a settlement with nearly 500 hospitals related to the implantation of cardioverter defibrillators (ICD’s). The surgeries did not meet the appropriate medical conditions for Medicare coverage established in the National Coverage Determination (NCD). Medicare will generally exclude coverage for ICD procedures when a bypass or…
In what has to be one of the more bizarre cases of alleged Medicaid fraud, a Florida dentist has been accused of needlessly pulling children’s teeth as part of a Medicaid fraud scheme. The case has not yet been litigated; however, 58 notices of intent to sue by angry patients…
We had always been of the opinion that the correct saying is “you are what you eat”, however, a recent False Claims Act case seems to infer that a food supply company has changed that old saying to “you are what you bill”. A federal trial has been set for…
Fighting Healthcare Fraud Using Whistleblower Statute Returns $20 For Every $1 Invested Complete Study Here
Just before year-end, GE healthcare agreed to pay $30 million to the United States Department of Justice. The case was filed by a salesman in Michigan. James Wagel alleged that a company owned by GE healthcare marketed a diagnostic drug used in cardiology testing improperly. The drug involved in the…
It seems that some companies never learn when it comes to false claims against the United States government. Omnicare is in the business of providing prescription drugs to elderly patients, and, has a particular pedigree in supplying nursing homes. Omnicare operates in at least 16 states, and, has 2 locations…
A number of recent cases have shown that the drug companies are prepared to pay millions and, sometimes, billions of dollars to settle cases involving prescribing drugs for unapproved uses. These “Qui Tam” matters are brought by individuals who have learned information that is not otherwise available to the Federal…
UPCODING AND OTHER HOSPITAL FRAUD Over the past couple of weeks, the Federal Courts have passed on a spate of fraud allegations against hospitals. In the past, New Jersey hospitals have been hit with similar claims and, in fact, some New Jersey hospitals have settled with the Federal Government for…