AUSTIN — The Texas House late Thursday passed a $246.8 billion, two-year state budget that would move cautiously and delay spending tens of billions in forthcoming federal aid. “These are one-time relief dollars,” said Rep. Greg Bonnen, the House’s chief … Read More
Creekwood Dental Arts has been voted the Best Dentist in Waco, TX for the third year in a row by Locals Love Us. This website welcomes members of the community to vote in more than 200 different categories for their … Read More
HARLINGEN, Texas (April 22, 2021)—A Texas man was sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy at the Merida Group, a chain of hospice and home health agencies throughout Texas, to falsely convince thousands of patients … Read More
The owners of four orthotic brace suppliers and several marketing companies were charged in a complaint unsealed yesterday for allegedly orchestrating a nationwide kickback and bribery scheme to order medically unnecessary orthotic braces for Medicare beneficiaries. Thomas Farese, 78, of … Read More
A Humana Inc. health plan for seniors in Florida improperly collected nearly $200 million in 2015 by overstating how sick some patients were, according to a federal audit. The federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General’s … Read More
Like other traditional industries, health care has been slow to adopt change. Dentists, similar to other clinicians, traditionally grow their careers within existing operating structures. Now, however, dentists have more options for alternative and sustainable career paths. Dental service organizations … Read More
GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WCTV) – Friday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced in a press release that the Leon County Sheriff’s Office arrested the owner of Golden Angels Professional Services, LLC for more than $50,000 in Medicaid fraud. 49-year-old Quantara … Read More
One-in-four calls from brokers and insurers selling health plans to Texans were deemed to be deceptive and merited a report to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), according to Rep. Eddie Lucio III. He introduced a bill in the House … Read More
HOUSTON – Medicaid is the health care safety net for millions of Americans. During the pandemic, when many people lost their jobs and their health coverage, Medicaid became even more important for people struggling. Texas is one of only 12 … Read More
San Diego, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Irvine resident Joserodel Zavala Candelario was sentenced in federal court yesterday to 36 months in federal custody for his participation in two huge health care fraud schemes, and for concealing income he received from those … Read More
HOUSTON, TX — A 60-year-old Richmond man is now in custody on charges of making false statements in his scheme to defraud Medicare, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Paul Njoku is expected to make his initial appearance before … Read More
Last legislative session, Texas made significant strides to our health care system, including eliminating surprise billing, increasing women’s health funding, and securing landmark waivers from the federal government to stabilize our health care safety net. My House colleagues and I … Read More
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is accusing Cockerell Dermatopathology (CDP) of submitting $4.2 million in fraudulent claims to TRICARE, the healthcare program for the nation’s military members. The False Claims Act lawsuit was filed against Dr. Clay Cockerell, who allegedly permitted … Read More
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush said Thursday he is “seriously considering” running for attorney general in 2022 — and detailed how he would challenge the incumbent, embattled fellow Republican Ken Paxton. “There have been some serious allegations levied against … Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a half million Americans have taken advantage of the Biden administration’s special health insurance sign-up window keyed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government announced Wednesday in anticipation that even more consumers will gain coverage in … Read More
Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan threw his weight Wednesday behind a bill that would extend Medicaid coverage to mothers for a year postpartum as part of a broad package of proposals meant to increase access to affordable health care … Read More
AUSTIN, TX — On April 6, Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced they will be adding about $254 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of April. … Read More
The Texas Senate unanimously signed off on a two-year, $250 billion state budget Tuesday, though there are still questions about how tens of billions of dollars in expected federal aid will be used — and whether it will arrive in … Read More
CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry happening May 13-16 is offering more than 60 continuing education courses led by some of dentistry’s top educators and speakers. Attendees can expect an interactive, virtual experience that will allow them to … Read More
Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen announced that Bristol-Myers Squibb (“BMS”) has agreed to pay the United States and participating states a total of $75 Million, plus interest, to resolve allegations that it knowingly underpaid rebates owed under the … Read More
A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Julius Bakari and his wife Mboutchock Kabiwa a/k/a Eugenie Bakari, both age 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, with health care kickbacks and conspiracy to receive unlawful kickbacks, in connection with their company … Read More
A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas, returned an indictment on March 17, 2021, charging Michael Andrew McCann with conspiring to defraud the United States, endeavoring to obstruct the IRS, failing to file tax returns, and making false bankruptcy declarations. … Read More
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently affirmed a $114 million judgment in a protracted, and hotly contested, suit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA) against the owner of a … Read More
Three Ohio-based psychiatric care and treatment facilities have agreed to pay $10.25 million to resolve a whistleblower lawsuit alleging multiple violations of the False Claims Act. Oglethorpe Inc. and its three facilities Ridgeview Behavioral Hospital, Cambridge Behavioral Hospital, and The … Read More
During a question-and-answer session following his opening remarks at the Federal Bar Association Qui Tam Conference earlier this year, Senator Chuck Grassley said that the government needed to “come down with a sledgehammer, not a toothpick” against fraud. 1 Senator … Read More
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A hospital in Las Vegas has been asked to refund more than $23 million in services after a federal audit concluded it received millions in overpayments from Medicare. The Office of the Inspector General for the … Read More
Dr. Ravi Murali, 39, pleaded guilty to one of the 12 counts he originally faced under an indictment that was issued in June. “I prescribed the braces without following (the) procedure of examining and calling the patients,” Murali told U.S. … Read More
An arbitrator has determined Nashville, Tenn.-based SmileDirectClub owes San Jose, Calif.-based Align Technology a $99.7 million award, including $54.2 million already paid, Yahoo Finance reports. SmileDirectClub must pay Align $45.5 million and additional daily interest of $3,000 starting March 13 … Read More
A federal whistleblower’s complaint, withdrawn recently after the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to intervene in the case, nonetheless contains disturbing allegations of massive fraud by Nova Southeastern University and its College of Dental Medicine. The alleged fraud involves the reputed … Read More
Missouri State Rep. Patricia Derges, accused by federal prosecutors of selling patients fake stem cell treatments at her southwest Missouri clinics, has also been charged with defrauding Greene County of pandemic relief funds. Derges is accused of taking $300,000 in … Read More
The Texas attorney general’s office is attempting to withhold all messages Ken Paxton sent or received while in Washington for the pro-Donald Trump rally that devolved into a riot at the U.S. Capitol. Several news organizations in Texas have requested … Read More
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced a lawsuit March 8 against a home health care provider for defrauding the District’s Medicaid program of more than $3 million from 2012 to 2014, in part by preying on people experiencing homelessness. The … Read More
ORLANDO — The Central Florida branch of a national ambulance company accused of submitting fraudulent Medicare claims for patient transports will pay $650,000 in restitution to the United States in a settlement reached in late February, records show. According to … Read More
Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced a multistate settlement with Boston Scientific Corporation (Boston) regarding deceptive marketing of its surgical mesh products for women. The settlement requires Boston to pay $188.6 million to 47 states and the District of Columbia … Read More
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas has filed a False Claims Act lawsuit against a Texas dermatopathologist and his clinic, Cockerell Dermatopathology (CDP), for submitting nearly $4.2 million in fraudulent claims to TRICARE, announced Acting … Read More
Fourteen people who were convicted in the Forest Park Medical Center bribery conspiracy have been sentenced to a combined total of more than 74 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. … Read More
The CEO of a local hospice agency has pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah. Bradley J. Harris, the 39-year-old former head of Novus and Optimum Health Services, … Read More
MINNESOTA — Thirteen Minnesota residents were charged in a $5.4 million health care fraud conspiracy case on Friday after prosecutors said that the group attempted to defraud the Medicaid program by submitting fraudulent claims, the acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota … Read More
HOUSTON, TX — A doctor of osteopathic medicine from Bellaire has paid to resolve allegations he falsely certified patients for home health services and received improper payments, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Truc Le, 51, is a primary … Read More
Robert John Sabet, the owner of Brooklyn Chemists in Gravesend, Brooklyn, and Lucky Care Pharmacy in Flushing, Queens, has been charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud by paying kickbacks and bribes in connection with the … Read More
