The United States Department of Justice announced December 17, 2009 that the U.S. and state of New York have entered into settlement agreements with three home health agencies to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to the New York Medicaid and Medicare programs.

The U.S. contends that Nursing Personnel Home Care knowingly supplied aides with phony training certificates to Extended Home Care and Excellent Home Care, which then billed New York Medicaid for the aides’ services. Allegedly, Extended Home Care and Excellent Home Care knowingly billed for aides with phony certificates who were untrained, and Extended Home Care and Excellent Home Care knowingly submitted claims to the Medicare program for home health aide services purportedly rendered by aides supplied by Nursing Personnel Home Care that were not actually provided.

The U.S. is receiving about $9.7 million as a result of the settlement with these three companies, and the state of New York is receiving about $14.3 million, for a total recovery of $24 million.

The allegations resolved by these settlements were initiated by two lawsuits filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.

For the full press release, go to: http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-civ-1362.html.

For more information about qui tam law and health care fraud, contact Nolan and Auerbach, PA.