News

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reported a settlement with Chicago-based Lifewatch Services Inc. for submitting false claims to Medicare for Ambulatory Cardiac Telemetry Services. The company will pay the U.S. government $18.5 million. As part of the settlement, LifeWatch is also required to participate in a comprehensive Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) to ensure the company’s...

Because Medicaid fraud significantly increases healthcare costs, Pennsylvania is stepping up investigation and prosecution of Medicaid fraud. According to a recent news story, in one year, false claims against Medicaid cost Pennsylvania taxpayers over $117 million from an annual budget of $4.5 billion.

Of Pennsylvania’s more than 50,000 healthcare providers who participate in the...

Pennsylvania-based EUSA Pharma (USA) Inc. will pay the U.S. government $180,000 for alleged False Claims Act violations. The Department of Justice alleged that the pharmaceutical company encouraged doctors to file inflated claims to the Medicare program for imaging scans.

EUSA Pharma manufactures and sells the radiopharmaceutical ProstaScint. Allegedly, the company encouraged...

Stephanie B. Williams and Mary H. Griffin, who worked as patient recruiters for a number of durable medical equipment (DME) companies in the Baton Rouge area, have admitted taking part in a Medicaid fraud scheme, according to the Department of Justice. The two women were involved in filing false claims to Medicaid and paying illegal kickbacks to healthcare providers to order unnecessary...

Lockheed Martin Corp., one of the largest defense contractors in the world, has agreed to a $15.85 million settlement to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that the company overcharged the U.S. government for perishable tools supplied by its subcontractor Tools & Metals, Inc. (TMI), according to the Justice Department. The subcontractor allegedly charged Lockheed Martin...

Juan Villa, who owned Blessed Medical Clinic in the Detroit area, has admitted to participating in a Medicare fraud scheme that resulted in fraudulent claims against Medicare totaling $2.4 million.

According to the Justice Department, Mr. Villa pleaded guilty to hiring patient recruiters to draw in Medicare beneficiaries. These recruiters then pay cash bribes to potential patients to...

The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits in federal courts in Indianapolis, Chicago, Dayton, Kansas City, and Las Vegas seeking injunctions that would shut down the franchiser of Instant Tax Service and five franchisees of the national firm. The Justice Department has alleged that the franchiser of Instant Tax Service locations, Dayton-based ITS Financial LLC, and company’s owner,...

Over just a two-year period, a Miami home health care agency, Serendipity Home Health Inc., filed $20 million in false claims against Medicare. Medicare paid $14 million of the fraudulent claims before the scheme was uncovered and stopped. Serendipity owners Ariel Rodriguez and Reynaldo Navarro and employees Melissa Rodriguez and Ysel Salado have pleaded guilty of conspiracy to commit health...

A federal jury has convicted a Massachusetts man and two New Hampshire residents of tax fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. William Scott Dion and Catherine Floyd of Sanbornville, N.H. and Charles Adams of Norwood, Mass were convicted of promoting an “under the table” payroll scheme.  Floyd and Dion were also convicted of using an “underground warehouse banking”...

Billy Denica, who owns an assisted living facility near Miami called Robyll Care Assisted Living Facility, recently pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Denica was involved in a scheme that directed patients to American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), a fraudulent mental health care provider, in exchange for illegal kickbacks.

The Department of Justice...