The operator and two employees of a former medical supply company in Hawthorne and Ventura, California have been arrested by special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for health care fraud. The allegations state that…
In mid-December, a federal jury found Ronald Grusd and two corporations, California Imaging Network Medical Group and Willows Consulting Company, guilty of fraud and bribery related to a health care fraud scheme involving California’s Workers’ Compensation program. More specifically, the jury was found guilty of Conspiracy, Honest Services Mail and…
On November 28, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $1.2 million settlement with Cardiovascular Consultants Heart Center, known as CVC Heart Center, and its shareholder physicians. CVC Health Center is a cardiology clinic with offices in Fresno and Clovis, California. The CVC Heart Center along with Dr. Kevin…
Sentencing for four California residents who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health fraud was recently handed down. Geoffrey Ricketts, 49, Marla Ricketts, 38, Samuel Kim, 41, and Sunyup Kim, 40, all pleaded guilty in late 2016 and early 2017 after being indicted in June 2015. Glucose Meter Fraud Scheme…
Michael Mirando, 40, previously a resident of Aliso Viejo, CA, was found guilty in May of 2017 on 15 counts of health care fraud. It took a federal jury less than half an hour to reach a verdict following the trial. At the end of October, Mirando was sentenced to…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Eastern District of California announced in October that two individuals pleaded guilty to health care fraud charges. These announcements continue to prove that the DOJ is focused on prosecuting all forms of health care fraud throughout the state and federal levels. If you…
The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) announced new suspensions twice in October. It suspended eight medical providers from participating in the state’s workers’ compensation system in early October and then three more shortly after. The total suspensions for 2017 are now up to 49. These suspensions are part of…
In early October, a California federal judge dismissed without prejudice a False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UHG). The suit, U.S. ex rel. Swoben v. Secure Horizons, et al., alleged UHG ignored questionable diagnoses that led to higher reimbursements through the Medicare Advantage program. This is significant…
On Sept. 22, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that drug manufacturer, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Novelion Therapeutics Inc., has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay a multi-million settlement of to resolve allegations of civil false claims. The Criminal Charges The criminal charges against Aegerion…
In early September, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Galena (Galena) Biopharma Inc. will pay more than $7.55 million in a False Claims Act (FCA) settlement. The U.S. alleges that Galena paid various types of kickbacks to encourage physicians to prescribe Abstral, which is a fentanyl-based drug, also known…