A house well being care company has agreed to pay almost $10 million to settle allegations that it submitted false claims to a Division of Vitality worker well being care program.

Wisconsin-based Atlantic House Well being Care (AHH) is a house well being care company that operates in 9 states. The U.S. authorities alleges that the Arizona company improperly billed a authorities power program for residence nursing and private care companies between 2017 and 2021 that have been by no means supplied.

The federal government additionally alleged that the company paid kickbacks by its “family and friends program,” providing money funds of as much as $5,000 for affected person referrals. As well as, the company supplied funds for bills corresponding to meals, web and journey to sufferers and their households.

These actions have been deemed a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits events in federal well being care applications from “knowingly paying or receiving compensation for affected person referrals,” in response to a U.S. Division of Justice press launch.

“High quality assurance is essential for beneficiaries taking part within the Vitality Workers Occupational Sickness Compensation Program (EEOICP),” U.S. Lawyer Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona mentioned in an announcement. “Paying kickbacks to acquire referrals has no place in our healthcare system. Enforcement of the False Claims Act protects the integrity of federal well being care applications.”

The EEOICP was created to guard the pursuits of Division of Vitality workers or contractors who have been injured or turned in poor health on the job.

Atlantic House Well being Care voluntarily disclosed its misconduct earlier than the federal government investigated it, and the settlement acknowledged its cooperation.

Of the settlement complete, roughly $7 million will encompass restitution. The case additionally concerned a former worker of the company, Tonya Cass, who filed a whistleblower lawsuit. As a part of the decision, Cass will obtain roughly $1.7 million.

The decision of the case comes after years of labor and coordination between the Justice Division's Civil Division, Business Litigation Department, Fraud Part and the U.S. Lawyer's Workplace for the District of Arizona.