Giant Hospice Chain (Vitas Healthcare) Accused of Medicare Fraud
Giant Hospice Chain Accused of Medicare Fraud
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CN) - Vitas Healthcare, the largest profit-seeking hospice chain in the country, defrauded Medicare of tens of millions of dollars, the United States claims in Federal Court.
Vitas Healthcare Corp., Vitas Hospice Services and affiliates defrauded Medicare for nearly a decade by submitting claims for crisis care that was not needed and/or not provided, prosecutors say in the complaint.
Also sued is Vitas' corporate parent, Chemed Corp., of Cincinnati, which owns Roto-Rooter. Chemed bought Vitas in 2004. It provides hospice care in 18 states and the District of Columbia.
The 51-page complaint describes Vitas' allegedly fraudulent bills as high as $170,000 apiece for numerous patients. For instance, Vitas billed Medicare for $169,821 for a woman (MC) it diagnosed with "heart failure," though "MC had no symptoms to indicate MC had any end-stage disease or condition, including heart disease. At the time of MC's admission to the hospital, MC was living independently and performing daily activities without assistance," the complaint states.
It continues: "At around the time Vitas admitted MC to its hospice program, its medical notes for MC stated that MC was 'very healthy given her age.' In fact, Vitas stopped administering MC heart medications during her time in hospice."
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/05/03/57284.htm
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