A group of settlements that involves eighteen hospitals in seven different states has arisen out of allegations that the hospitals violated federal law by billing Medicare for psychiatric services that were not medically necessary or even medically reasonable for the patients who received them. Interestingly enough, the hospitals do not admit liability as part of these settlements.
One of the people who will benefit from this collection of settlements is a former employee of a Mississippi hospital. The employee, who has been awarded nearly three and a half million dollars, witnessed illegal billing when he worked as a program director in an outpatient psychotherapy service at the hospital that is now Merit Health Wesley in Hattiesburg. The alleged improper billing occurred between 2005 and 2015. The former employee notified the federal government of the fraudulent billing, and he has pursued whistleblower litigation under the False Claims Act since 2010. The case is still sealed, and there has not yet been government intervention on behalf of the former employee.
The reasons that the psychotherapy services should not have been billed to Medicare include lack of treatment plans and progress monitoring, services provided to patients who did not need them, and a lack of therapeutic focus in the so-called therapy, which has been described as more of a diversion or a recreational endeavor. Patients who are given services under Medicare should only get the services that address their unique medical needs. When hospitals give patients services that are not warranted based upon their unique set of needs and then bill Medicare that is a fraudulent act. The group of cases involving the Mississippi man who is a former hospital employee is just one of a few similar sets of settlements that have occurred across the nation, exposing a widespread problem of Medicare fraud.
Barrett Law PLLC: Helping Whistleblowers Expose Wrongdoing in the State of Mississippi
When a health care provider is defrauding the government by overbilling Medicaid, they put the needs of the patient, which are supposed to be their primary concern, behind their desire to make a profit. Patients receive care that is inappropriate for their needs, and providing care that is not needed is a waste of federal funds. Whistleblower lawsuits like the one that is being pursued against the hospital in this article take a lot of time and energy. The brave individuals who file whistleblower lawsuits feel that it is important that they expose the wrongdoing that they have witnessed, so that the company can be held responsible for its actions. If you have seen a business entity breaking the law, the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to help you. Our attorneys understand the complexities of the whistleblower lawsuit process, and we will help you pursue the results that you seek. If you have questions about whistleblower lawsuits, please call the experienced and dedicated Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free, initial consultation.