Integrated Physicians Group and other healthcare professionals implicated in healthcare fraud settle a $2.9M Civil case
Dr. Robert Moreno, El Paso Integrated Physicians Group alongside other co-defendants, consented to settle a civil claim filled under a qui tam action in 2013. The complainant, a private citizen, alleged gross violation of the law by the medical practitioners and the facilities they used, including excessive bills to defraud the government and private healthcare protection plans. As such, the allegations were settled in September 2019 at the cost of 2.9 million dollars. Although the claims were not proved before a federal court, the defendants decided to pay the stated amount and avoid the legal process that could be lengthy and more costly.
According to the complaints labeled against the defendants, Texas Medicare, Medicaid, and others lost millions of dollars from conspiracy to defraud them by their appointed service providers. The whistleblower claimed Moreno and the mentioned facilities were illegally using the drug on pooled vials to treat other patients against the guidelines. Further, the indictment alleged the split vials were used illegally to create financial gains to the defendants by billing them twice after splitting. The combined drugs from unused portions of bottles were again used to treat other patients with new bills being charged to the healthcare insurer as if it is a new drug purchased
The civil allegations also claimed the defendants passed costs to the financiers even for drugs that were not used to treat anyone. The blotted expenses of the services were also resulting from bills charged for diluted drugs by the facility. This act was not only illegal but also medically dangerous to the recipients of such medications. More allegations revealed the defendants were using illegally imported drugs to make claims from the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Doubling the amount demanded, illegally charging the healthcare programs for services, and medicines not used are the allegations that made the defendants consider settling the case early and did not want to proceed to prosecution. According to the provisions of the False Claims Act, the whistleblower could get a substantial amount of the recovered cash form the defendants.
If you are aware of a fraudulent scheme that has cost the government any amount of money, come forward and report. You will receive the necessary assistance to prosecute the case, and the recovery of such cash will be appreciated. Also, report to the investigating or prosecuting agencies any information that you could have to increase the recovery of illegally acquired property by the government. Contact the department of justice with any questions or information on fraud.