Hospice Workers Witnessing Medicare Over-Billing Eligible for Corporate Whistleblower Center Rewards Program

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Corporate Whistleblower Center, "Hospice programs are designed to provide much-needed care and services to those who are terminally ill and have just weeks or months to live. For a hospice center to abuse this tax-payer funded program like Medicare for their own gain is not only a crime, it is also morally reprehensible. If an employee who works for a company providing hospice services has specific proof of major  overbilling Medicare we definitely want them to call us at 866-714-6466, so we can carefully explain whistleblower programs to them." http://CorporateWhistleblowerCenter.Com

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One recent example of this occurred in Florida, where Orlando-area hospice Hospice of the Comforter, Inc. (HOTCI) agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by allegedly submitting claims to Medicare for hospice services, even though the patients were allegedly not eligible for hospice care. Additionally, the lawsuit alleged that HOTCI instructed its employees to admit all patients, whether they were eligible for hospice services or not, in order to bill Medicare for a higher reimbursement rate. The lawsuit also alleged that the organization falsified records in order to make it appear that ineligible patients were eligible. The lawsuit was filed by a former employee of HOTCI, who will receive a portion of the $3 million settlement as a reward. http://CorporateWhistleblowerCenter.Com

"If you work for a hospice company that is overbilling Medicare out of hundreds of thousands, or millions of dollars each year, and you possess well-documented proof, please call us at 866-714-6466 so we can explain federal whistleblower programs to you," says the Corporate Whistleblower Center. "All information is kept confidential.  If your proof is substantial enough, we will get you to the best attorneys in the country, and we will help you package your information." http://CorporateWhistleblowerCenter.Com

Simple rules for a whistleblower from the Corporate Whistleblower Center:

• Do not go to the government first if you are a major whistleblower. The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "Major whistleblowers frequently go to the federal government thinking they will help. It's a huge mistake."
• Do not go to the news media with your whistleblower information. Public revelation of a whistleblower's information could destroy any prospect for a reward.
• Do not try to force a government contractor, or corporation to come clean to the government about their wrongdoing. The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "Fraud is so rampant among federal contractors that any suggestion of exposure might result in an instant job termination, or harassment of the whistleblower. Come to us first, tell us what type of information you have, and if we think it's sufficient, we will help find the right law firms to assist in advancing your information."
• The Corporate Whistleblower Center wants to emphasize there are high quality whistleblowers in every state including California, New York, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

Any type of insider or employee who possesses significant proof of their employer or a government contractor defrauding the federal government is encouraged to contact to Corporate Whistleblower Center anytime at 866-714-6466 or via their web site at http://CorporateWhistleblowerCenter.Com

For attribution purposes please refer to the November 2013 press release on this topic from the Justice Department: http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/November/13-civ-1179.html

Case Number: The case is United States ex rel. Stone v. Hospice of the Comforter Inc ., No. 6:11-cv-1498-ORL-22-DAB (M.D. Fla.). 

Media Contact:
M. Thomas Martin
866-714-6466

Read more news from the Corporate Whistleblower Center.

SOURCE Corporate Whistleblower Center

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