Amedisys, one of the nation’s largest providers of home health services, has agreed to pay $150 million to the federal government to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false home health billings to Medicare, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Feb. 23.
 
Between 2008 and 2010, certain Amedisys offices “allegedly billed Medicare for nursing and therapy services that were medically unnecessary or provided to patients who were not homebound, and otherwise misrepresented patients’ conditions to increase its Medicare payments,” a DOJ news release states. “These billing violations were the alleged result of management pressure on nurses and therapists to provide care based on the financial benefits to Amedisys, rather than the needs of patients.”  (HHL 6/28/10)
 
The settlement also resolves an allegation involving Amedisys’ relationship with a private oncology practice in Georgia, the release states. In that relationship, Amedisys employees allegedly violated statutory requirements by providing care coordination services “at below-market prices.”
 
This settlement resolves seven lawsuits against Amedisys filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, according to the release.