Acadia Healthcare Company Inc. (Acadia) has settled a long-running legal battle over false Medicare and Medicaid claims and agreed to pay a $19.85 million penalty.
The fine resolves allegations that Acadia knowingly violated the False Claims Act by billing federal health care programs for unnecessary inpatient behavioral care.
Acadia Healthcare pays price for false claims violations
The Justice Department alleged that from 2014 to 2017, the health care providers made illegal applications to federal health care programs. Acadia’s Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada facilities billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare.
In addition to allegations that federal health care programs were unfairly billed, Acadia intentionally failed to staff, train, and supervise its staff, resulting in several serious and sensitive incidents at its facilities. Become.
According to the resolution, Acadia “failed to provide inpatient acute care in accordance with federal and state regulations, including failure to provide aggressive treatment and develop and/or update individualized assessments and treatment plans.” It is said that Develop appropriate discharge plans and provide necessary individual and group therapy. ”
“Healthcare providers participating in federally funded health care programs must follow the law when billing Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare,” said Tamara E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). said. .
The services billed by the provider were found to be unnecessary by a joint investigation conducted in cooperation with the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Division, Fraud Division, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Enforcement Divisions. It was determined that From HHS-OIG and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation.
The United States will receive a payment of $16,663,918 to resolve Acadia’s liability under the False Claims Act for false claims for Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare. The company will pay $3,186,082 to Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada to resolve legal claims in each state.
“Federal health care programs depend on the integrity and trustworthiness of participating health care providers,” said Roger B. Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who seek to exploit these programs for personal gain and endanger the health of patients.”
Image: Pexel.
