Posts Tagged ‘anti-kickback statute’
Pennsylvania Lab Owner Sentenced to Prison in Illegal Kickback Scheme Involving Labs
The owner of two Pennsylvania testing labs in was sentenced to 18 months in prison, ordered to forfeit $9 million in criminal proceeds and pay more than $77 million in restitution for his involvement in an illegal kickback scheme. Ravitej Reddy pleaded guilty in 2020 to three conspiracy counts and one substantive count related to…
Read MoreSkilled Nursing Facility and Management Company Settle Kickback Case for Nearly $4M
A California skilled nursing facility and management company has agreed to pay nearly $4 million to settle allegations it paid kickbacks to physicians for referrals of patients on Medi-Cal and Medicare. From 2009 through 2019, Alta Vista Healthcare & Wellness Centre, under the direction and control of Rockport Healthcare Services, gave physicians extravagant gifts, including…
Read MoreWPB Man Sentenced for Role in $7M DME Fraud, Kickback and False Claim Scheme
A West Palm Beach man was sentenced to a little more than five years in prison and ordered to pay $7 million in restitution for his part in a durable medical equipment (DME) fraud scheme. Christopher Margait pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud by fraudulently trafficking in orders for durable medical equipment such…
Read MoreSouth Florida Man Who Received Kickbacks in $73M Genetic Testing Scheme Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud
Just before his Medicare fraud trial was to start, a Florida man who helped recruit telemedicine doctors as part of a $73 million genetic testing scheme to defraud Medicare pleaded guilty to receiving kickbacks. Michael Stein admitted that he, through his company 1523 Holdings LLC, agreed to receive $50,000 per month in exchange for recruiting…
Read MoreTexas Drug Testing Lab to Pay Nearly $6M to Settle Kickbacks to Marketers, False Claims Act Violations
An Austin, Texas drug testing lab agreed to pay nearly $6 million to settle allegations it violated the Federal False Claims Act by paying volume-based commissions to marketers for six years.
Read MoreFormer Florida Marketer Charged with DME Fraud, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, Bilking Medicare out of $100M
A former Florida resident living in Puerto Rico has been charged for his role in a $101 million durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme. Raheel Naviwala, 34, was charged with conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. According to court documents, Naviwala and his conspirators owned and operated several call centers (NAVIWALA Supply Companies) through…
Read MoreThe Federal Government Nets $2.2B in Settlements and Judgements Under the False Claims Act, Including $1.7B in Healthcare-Related Fraud
Settlements and judgements under the False Claims Act (FCA) surpassed $2.2 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022. Of that, $1.7 billion related to matters involving the healthcare industry, including drug and medical device manufacturers, durable medical equipment, home health and managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, hospice organizations, and physicians. The government and…
Read MoreSurgeon Sentenced in Compound Medication Kickback Scheme
A Baltimore, Maryland doctor licensed in several states, will be spending the next three years behind bars for writing and referring compounded drug prescriptions in return for illegal kickbacks. Dr. Thomas Raley, Jr., 53, specialized in orthopedic and spine surgery and provided patients with pain management services in Virginia, Maryland and other states since 1998.…
Read MoreOIG Gives Blessing to Gift Card Arrangement
Last month, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published an advisory opinion in which it declined to impose sanctions for an arrangement under which the requestor provides gift cards to Medicare Advantage enrollees who complete an online learning program related to potential risks, benefits, and expectations relating to surgeries. The requestor stated that the program…
Read MoreAmerican Senior Communities Settles for $5.5 Million in FCA Case
Thanks to the work of a whistleblower, the U.S. Department of Justice recently settled with an Indiana-based skilled nursing and long-term care services company for $5.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. A former American Senior Communities (ASC) employee filed a whistleblower lawsuit in 2017 alleging that that ASC was…
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