Dubuis to Settle Medicare Fraud Claims for $8M; Whistleblower to Get $2.16M
Dubuis Health System and Southern Crescent Hospital for Specialty Care, Inc. (Southern Crescent) have agreed to pay $8 million to resolve allegations that the companies knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medicare, the U.S. Department of Justice announced last month. Dubuis Health System manages long-term acute care hospitals in multiple states, including Southern Crescent. Southern Crescent is a long-term acute care hospital located in Riverdale, GA and is part of the CHRISTUS Health System.
Long term acute care hospitals are certified to focus on patients with more complex medical needs who, on average, remain in the hospital more than 25 days, and receive a higher rate of Medicare reimbursement than typical acute care hospitals. This settlement resolves allegations that between 2003 and 2009, Dubuis Health System and Southern Crescent knowingly kept patients hospitalized beyond the time considered to be medically necessary, to increase their Medicare reimbursement and to maintain Southern Crescent’s classification as a long-term acute care facility.
The allegations were originally made in a lawsuit filed by Darlene Tucker, a former administrator at Southern Crescent, under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to sue on behalf of the government and share in the recovery. Tucker will receive $2.16 million as her share of the settlement.
The Chanler Group, in association with the Hirst Law Group, represents whistleblowers who take action under the False Claims Act to report fraud committed against the federal and state governments. We have years of experience representing whistleblower clients who expose every kind of fraud against the government, including health care fraud, contract fraud, and tax fraud. Read more about our expertise in False Claims Act cases and how you can take action.