South Florida Nursing Home Chain to Pay $17M in Whistleblower Suit
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
A Miami-based nursing home chain has agreed to pay a record $17 million to settle a False Claims Act suit that was brought by its former Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The United States Attorney’s Office claims that Plaza Health Network, formerly known as Hebrew Homes, allegedly doled out illegal payments to physicians for referrals of Medicare patients from 2006 through 2013.
A Sophisticated Kickback Scheme.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Plaza Health Network hired physicians to serve as medical directors, but in reality these were “ghost positions.” These […]