Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
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If you ever wondered whether whistleblowers really collected for their revelations, a new DOJ announcement proves that they absolutely do profit in some instances. An Arizona and Texas-based sleep clinic company paid the government $650,000 last week to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare, the DOJ announced on May 26. The case was brought to the DOJ's attention as part of a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act, "which allows private citizens, known as 'relators,' to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the proceeds of any settlement or judgment," the DOJ announcement noted. The relator in this case will receive $107,250 as her share of the recovery. The sleep clinic allegedly filed false claims with Medicare for diagnostic sleep tests performed by technicians who lacked the licenses or certifications that Medicare requires. In addition, the settlement resolves allegations that the clinic made false claims to Medicare for medical devices resulting from the technicians' tests. To read the complete DOJ announcement about the case, visit www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/May/11-civ-689.html.
Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
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