UPDATE: DaVita Health Settles Allegations of Medicare Fraud for $495 Million

On the heels of its recent $350 million illegal kickback settlement with the Department of Justice, Denver’s DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc. has opted to set aside another $495 million to settle additional claims under the False Claims Act involving fraud against government health insurer Medicare. The claims arose thanks to […]

How Courts are Holding on ‘Worthless Services’ Allegations Under the False Claims Act

In yesterday’s post, we examined the emerging concept known as ‘worthless services’ within the context of the False Claims Act. Under the FCA, a defendant may face liability for intentionally submitting claims for reimbursement to Medicare or Medicaid that are known to be false or based on false information. On […]

Recognizing ‘Worthless Services’ Under the False Claims Act

When it comes to committing fraud against Medicare and Medicaid, there are a number of ways for doctors, hospitals, and medical companies to get around the rules. Some encourage billing specialists to “upcode” for higher reimbursement rates, essentially billing Medicare or Medicaid for services never rendered. Others, quite alarmingly, perform […]

Department of Education Yanks Funding From Several ‘Risky’ Colleges and Universities

Over the past several years, a number of colleges and universities have faced significant fines, penalties, and liabilities for unlawfully inducing students into enrolling using falsified or exaggerated graduation and employment data or by paying recruiters by the enrollee. For instance, several U.S. law schools were named in a recent […]

Michigan Hospital Settles Self-Disclosed False Claims Act Case for Over $4 Million

In a rare turn of events, the Department of Justice has actually commended Michigan-based Portage Hospital, LLC after it opted to self-report various perceived violations of the False Claims Act by a member of its physical therapy staff. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement: “Portage Hospital is to […]