Radiation Therapy Company Agrees to Pay Up to $11.5 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims an

[nitpicker]

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/radiation-therapy-company-agrees-pay-115-million-settle-allegations-false-claims-and

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 29, 2018

Radiation Therapy Company Agrees to Pay Up to $11.5 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims and Kickbacks

Texas-based SightLine Health LLC (SightLine), which operates radiation therapy centers throughout the United States, has agreed to settle a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging that it knowingly submitted claims to the Medicare program that violated the Anti‑Kickback Statute, the Justice Department announced today. Together with Integrated Oncology Network Holdings LLC (ION), which acquired SightLine in 2011, SightLine has agreed to pay the government up to $11.5 million.
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The settlement announced today resolves allegations that SightLine violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act by targeting physicians that were able to refer patients to its cancer treatment centers, and paid those physicians a share of its profits pursuant to investment arrangements that were set up to allow physicians to profit from their referrals. Specifically, the United States alleged that SightLine formed a series of leasing companies in which referring physicians were permitted to invest, and through which SightLine allegedly distributed the profits that its physician-investors generated by referring cancer patients for radiation therapy.

In addition to resolving their alleged False Claims Act liability, ION, SightLine, and their related entities have entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the HHS-OIG. This agreement is intended to increase accountability and transparency and to deter future misconduct. The Corporate Integrity Agreement includes internal and external monitoring of the relationships between the ION and SightLine entities and referring physician investors.
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The allegations resolved by the settlement were brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that defendants submitted false claims for government funds and to share in any recovery. The act also allows the Government to take over the case, as it did here in part. The whistleblower will receive up to $1.725 million.
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