Home Health & Hospice Week
Sham Med Director Pay, Bonuses Feature In HH Fraud Settlement
A Sarasota, Florida home health agency and its top executives have agreed to pay $5.8 million to resolve fraud allegations including that the Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc. “provided improper financial inducements to referring physicians through sham medical director agreements and bonuses to physicians’ spouses who were Doctor’s Choice employees,” the Department of Justice says in a release. Doctor’s Choice will pay $3.86 million and execs Timothy Beach and Stuart Christensen will each pay $647,000 to settle the allegations. Doctor’s Choice also will pay an additional $675,000 “to resolve separate allegations that employees pressured clinical personnel to increase the number of home visits for Medicare patients to avoid the Medicare Low Utilization Payment Adjustment,” the DOJ adds. The case was sparked by two whistleblower lawsuits filed by Former Doctor’s Choice employees, and the qui tam realtors are set to receive a portion of the settlement funds. Sara Billings, Misty Sykes, and Marina Eschoyez-Quiroga will receive about $145,000 for the LUPA-related recoveries, the DOJ says. Corina Herbold’s share related to the other charges has not yet been determined, according to the release.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Compliance:
Home Health Improper Payment Rate Down To 9.3%
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Medicare Expands Hospital At Home Program As COVID Surge Swamps Hospitals
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CIA Violation Racks Up $1.3 Million in Penalties For HHA
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Miami HHA Owes $730,000, OIG Audit Charges
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OIG Admits It Got Nearly Half The Claims Determinations Wrong In Compassus Audit
Plus: OIG pats itself on the back for hospital pay proration for early discharges to [...] - Policy:
Home Care Aides Need First COVID Vaccinations Too, Home Care Groups Urge
Newly approved priority guidelines lack many details. All eyes were on a Centers for Disease [...] - Industry Notes:
Stark Law Reform Eases Some Self-Referral, Kickback Restrictions
Giving free tech to referral sources may be OK, one HHS example says. Home health [...] - Industry Notes:
Click On This For Medicare Advantage Carve-In Info
Medicare wants to make sure hospices are getting all the info about the new Medicare Advantage [...] - Industry Notes:
Beef Up HH Benefit, Study Urges
If insurers including Medicare really want to get the most bang for their buck out [...] - Industry Notes:
Sham Med Director Pay, Bonuses Feature In HH Fraud Settlement
A Sarasota, Florida home health agency and its top executives have agreed to pay $5.8 [...] - Industry Notes:
MACs Unite To Train On Addendum
If you’re struggling with the new hospice election addendum, the MACs are offering some help. [...]
