Medicare and Medicaid

On October 31, Elevance Health filed suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to challenge the 2025 Star Ratings system used for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. CMS published the final Star Ratings to the public on October 10 through the…

One of the nation’s largest urine drug testing laboratories recently settled with the federal government by paying $27 million to resolve alleged violations of the federal False Claims Act (FCA) and state statutes. Precision Toxicology (d/b/a Precision Diagnostics), headquartered in San Diego, allegedly provided medically unnecessary urine drug testing and offered free items to physicians…

On October 9, 2024, the United States Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of New York unsealed an indictment alleging that eight defendants defrauded Medicaid of approximately $68 million.1 The alleged scheme involved two adult day care programs and a home care financial intermediary, all owned and controlled by the same individuals, as well…

Eight individuals associated with two Brooklyn social adult day care centers and a home health care intermediary have been charged in an alleged $68 million Medicaid fraud scheme. The defendants, including owners and staff from Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Inc., Family Social Adult Day Care Inc., and Responsible Care Staffing, Inc., are accused…

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced on October 11 that Dr. Janette Gray and her former medical practice, The Center for Health & Wellbeing in San Diego, resolved False Claims Act (FCA) allegations by agreeing to pay $3.8 million. 

Gray and her practice allegedly billed Medicare and TRICARE from 2012…

A recently issued federal court opinion confirmed that certain pre-COVID era prescribing restrictions are back in place. In July 2023, a nonprofit advocacy group, Community Oncology Alliance, filed suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding provisions of the Stark Law. Stark prohibits physicians from referring Medicare and Medicaid patients to…

Three Connecticut dental practices, together with their owners, have agreed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut to pay $1.7 million to settle allegations that the practices violated federal and Connecticut False Claims Acts and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. This and other recent settlements seem to be suggesting that a crackdown on…

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced on August 20 that National Interventional Radiology Partners PLLC (NIRP) and its founder and CEO will pay $8,884,091 to the United States to resolve alleged violations of the federal False Claims Act (FCA) and Anti-Kickback Statute. NIRP and Dr. Andrew Gomes allegedly illegally paid…

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut recently announced that Supportive Care Holdings, LLC and its related companies agreed to pay the federal government nearly $4,600,000 to resolve allegations of submitting false claims. The Supportive Care companies provide behavioral health services via telehealth to patients residing in skilled nursing facilities.

Supportive Care’s companies…

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on July 24 that Admera Health LLC, a New Jersey-based biopharmaceutical research and clinical laboratory testing company, agreed to pay $5,389,648 to resolve kickback allegations brought by two whistleblowers under the False Claims Act (FCA).

Admera provides biopharmaceutical research services for healthcare institutions and provided clinical laboratory testing services…