Texas Doctor Charged With Faking Diagnoses in $240 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Attorney George F. Indest III HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 14, 2018, a Texas doctor was arrested on charges he led a $240 million health care fraud and money laundering scheme. He allegedly falsely diagnosed at least 16 patients with degenerative diseases and gave them unneeded chemotherapy and other treatments.

Fake Diagnoses and Treatments.

The doctor allegedly bilked Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Blue Cross Blue Shield and others through a scheme in which he would falsely diagnose patients with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. According to the indictment, he would then give them treatments based on those false diagnoses, and conduct repetitive and excessive unnecessary medical procedures.

Additionally, the office staff alleges that they were instructed to increase the number of medical procedures performed on […]

DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever

5 Indest-2008-2By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 14, 2016, the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its annual False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics. It revealed that the DOJ obtained more than $4.7 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in fiscal year 2016. What this indicates to me is that, if all of these cases had been brought by individual relators, those relators could have shared in as much as $1.41 billion as their personal reward for the relator’s part of the recoveries. A whistle blower can receive up to 30 percent of the amount warded to the government, plus all attorney’s fees and costs, for bringing a successful False Claims Act case.

The Third Highest Annual Recovery.

Based on […]

By |2024-03-14T10:01:28-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Pharmacy Law Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever

South Florida Hospital Agrees To Pay $12 Million To Settle FCA Claims

George IndestBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 7, 2016, a Miami-area hospital will pay the federal government about $12 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting false claims to federal health care programs for medically unnecessary cardiac procedures, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

The Allegations.

The allegations against South Miami Hospital stem from procedures allegedly performed by Dr. John R. Dylewski while he worked for the hospital. “Performing medically unnecessary heart procedures is shocking to the conscience,” Shimon R. Richmond, the U.S. Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) special agent in charge, said in a statement. “Conducting cardiac catheterizations purely for profit, not patient care, seriously breaches the ‘do no harm’ commitment physicians pledge.”

Two Whistle Blowers Add to […]

DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever

5 Indest-2008-2By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 14, 2016, the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its annual False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics. It revealed that the DOJ obtained more than $4.7 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in fiscal year 2016. What this indicates to me is that, if all of these cases had been brought by individual relators, those relators could have shared in as much as $1.41 billion as their personal reward for the relator’s part of the recoveries. A whistle blower can receive up to 30 percent of the amount warded to the government, plus all attorney’s fees and costs, for bringing a successful False Claims Act case.

The Third Highest Annual Recovery.

Based on […]

By |2024-03-14T10:01:34-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Nursing Law Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever

DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever

George Indest HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 14, 2016, the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its annual False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics. It revealed that the DOJ obtained more than $4.7 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in fiscal year 2016. What this indicates to me is that, if all of these cases had been brought by individual relators, those relators could have shared in as much as $1.41 billion as their personal reward for the relator’s part of the recoveries. A whistle blower can receive up to 30 percent of the amount warded to the government, plus all attorney’s fees and costs, for bringing a successful False Claims Act case.

The Third Highest Annual Recovery.

Based on […]

By |2024-03-14T10:01:52-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Mental Health Law Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever
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