Florida Skilled Nursing Facility Agrees to Pay Record Settlement of $17 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

*** - Fundraising - A friend brought over a laptop and set it up for me until I can get my regular computer fixed, so we are back in business again.  I also found my cell phone down at the county clerks office, so communication is again open and ready.  lol   Thanks for bearing with us.  Hopefully all will be well.  

Our current deficit is now down to $175 needed by the first of July, 2015.  If you can afford to donate anything at all, please do so off to the right at the pay pal button or mail any donations to 67 Highland Ave, Pagosa Springs, Co.81147.

I also want to thank our readers for their support over these last 6 years, since it has been a rewarding experience to see our work, every where all over the world, and watch it slowly contribute to the change of conversation that is now taking place, with more truth and less disinfo.  That could only happen if those of you who are seekers of truth had distributed this blog across the globe.  For that we are grateful and wish you and yours all the best.   God Bless you, stay safe and prosperous.  

Vatic Note:   Well, it appears corruption at all corporate levels are being allowed to run rampid, until now.   This below is good news,  we hope.   What appears to be happening is the average "SHEEP" are beginning to wake up, at every level of our society, and that is a good thing.

Now this was going on during the reign of Jeb Bush.... as governor.   So how come he didn't do anything about all this when he was in office?   This is evidently not new, since Billions were involved and that takes time to scam down that much money. 

I have to say, I am "cautiously encouraged" by this exposure of corruption at this high a level and with the corrections being made to bring the system back into service to the people,. who both serve the system and who receive benefits from it.

Now, the question is,  "How many more are there out there, at other states,  doing this same scam at the same financial  cost to the taxpayer"?   It does not make it clear in this article if this federal probe is going on in all states, or just targeted states that complaints had been filed about?   I would love to know that, since I am sure, there is some of this to some degree, probably going on everywhere.

Remember the whole point of "COMMUNISM" is for Government to control every aspect of life,  and then CORPORATIONS, to control government, thereby ushering in a FASCIST NEW WORLD ORDER, and if its also Satanic, that means it would be celebrated and not prosecuted. Lets watch and see if any more are exposed.   Pleased share with us if you run across any other examples within the medical community.  


Florida Skilled Nursing Facility Agrees to Pay Record Settlement of $17 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2015/06/florida-skilled-nursing-facility-agrees-to-pay-record-settlement-of-17-million-to-resolve-false-456.html
By Admin,  Failed Messiah, June 17, 2015

“Hebrew Homes’ intricate kickback scheme in this record-setting case threatened the impartiality of physician referrals, the financial integrity of Medicare, and the public’s trust in the health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency will continue to investigate nursing homes and other health care providers that seek to illegally boost profits at the expense of federal health care programs.”

The US Attorney's press release:

Florida Skilled Nursing Facility Agrees to Pay Record Settlement of $17 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), announced that Hebrew Homes Health Network, Inc., its operating subsidiaries and affiliates, and William Zubkoff, the former president and executive director of Hebrew Homes Health Network, Inc. (collectively Hebrew Homes), have agreed to pay $17 million to resolve allegations that Hebrew Homes violated the False Claims Act by improperly paying doctors for referrals of Medicare patients requiring skilled nursing care. 

Hebrew Homes provided skilled nursing services at seven rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities in Miami-Dade County, Florida.  This is the largest settlement of alleged violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute paid by skilled nursing facilities in the United States.

“The record settlement announced today demonstrates this Office’s commitment to rooting out all forms of illegal kickback schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida.  “And that is certainly true in the context of nursing homes, where the Department of Justice will not allow healthcare decisions for elderly Medicare patients to be influenced by kickback payments to physicians. The integrity of our public health care program requires that such decisions be based on quality of care.”      

From 2006 through 2013, Hebrew Homes allegedly operated a sophisticated kickback scheme, in which they hired numerous physicians ostensibly as medical directors pursuant to contracts that specified numerous job duties and hourly requirements.  The various facilities had several such medical directors under contract at any given time, paying each several thousand dollars monthly.  The United States alleged that in reality these were ghost positions, and that most of the medical directors were required to perform few, if any, of their contracted job duties.  Instead, they were allegedly paid for their patient referrals to the Hebrew Homes facilities, which increased exponentially once the medical directors were put on the payroll.

“Illegal inducements paid to physicians in exchange for patient referrals will not be tolerated,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “Medicare funds should be used to provide care for our senior citizens, not as an inducement to physicians to refer business.”

“Hebrew Homes’ intricate kickback scheme in this record-setting case threatened the impartiality of physician referrals, the financial integrity of Medicare, and the public’s trust in the health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency will continue to investigate nursing homes and other health care providers that seek to illegally boost profits at the expense of federal health care programs.”

The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that a physician’s medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives.  The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by federal health care programs, including Medicare.

“Illegal kickbacks undermine the integrity of the Medicare system by putting profits in front of patient welfare,” said Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI Miami Field Office.  “The investigators who helped unravel this intricate scam are to be commended for their diligence and commitment to root out fraud within our health care system.”

As part of the settlement, Mr. Zubkoff has agreed to resign as Hebrew Homes’ Executive Director and to no longer be an employee of the company.  Also, as part of the settlement announced today, Hebrew Homes has entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, and has agreed to change its policies on hiring and maintaining medical directors.

The settlement announced today resolves allegations made in a lawsuit filed by Stephen Beaujon, a former CFO of Hebrew Homes, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery.  Mr. Beaujon will receive $4,250,000.

This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $24.3 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $15.3 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.  Mr. Ferrer commended the joint investigation team, which included special agents with the FBI and HHS-OIG, for their diligent work on this matter. 

The case was investigated and the settlement negotiated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Franklin Monsour and Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Young and Adam Schwartz.

The case is captioned United States ex rel. Beaujon v. Hebrew Homes Health Network, Inc., et al., Case No. 12-20951 CIV (S.D. Fla.).  The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

[Hat Tip: The Lion.]

---

The article is reproduced in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.