Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
Justice Department Taking Closer Look At Hospice
Is a Department of Justice investigation of Odyssey Health Care Inc. an isolated incident or the start of an industry-wide crackdown?
The DOJ's False Claims Act investigation of Dallas-based Odyssey covers claims submitted since Jan. 1, 2000. It focuses on patient admissions, patient retention and billing, Odyssey says in a release.
Odyssey has a record of serving fewer high-cost cancer patients than competitors, analysts told The New York Times.
The chain with 72 locations in 30 states also is facing a number of shareholder lawsuits, which were sparked by the company exceeding its per-patient aggregate cap in a previous quarter. The suits charge Odyssey with admitting patients ineligible for the hospice benefit, providing below-standard care due to heavy workloads and other financial misdeeds.
Odyssey says it is cooperating with the DOJ investigation, but maintains "it has a longstanding and ongoing employee training and regulatory compliance program, including a mechanism for employees to alert management anonymously of issues."
Heads roll: CEO and President David Gasmire has resigned after nine months in the post, and former CEO Richard Burnham will reassume the duties, the company says. Burnham is currently the chairman.
Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
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Justice Department Taking Closer Look At Hospice
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