U.S. Attorney Announces $25.5 Million Settlement With Durable Medical Equipment Supplier Lincare Inc. For Fraudulent Billing Practices

Lincare Admits That It Received Reimbursements for Claims That Did Not Comply With Billing Rules and Guidance and Continued To Seek Payments in Instances When It Was Aware Patients Were Not Using the Respiratory Equipment

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”); Brian J. Solecki, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (“DCIS”); Derek M. Holt, the Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General (“OPM-OIG”); and Michael J. Waters, the Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Field Office of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (“Amtrak-OIG”), announced that the United States has settled a civil fraud lawsuit against LINCARE INC., a large durable medical equipment (“DME”) supplier with approximately 700 locations throughout the United States. The settlement resolves claims that LINCARE violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently continuing to bill federal health care programs for the rental of costly non-invasive ventilators (“NIVs”) when patients no longer needed or used the devices. The settlement also resolves claims that LINCARE violated the Anti-Kickback Statute by waiving coinsurance payments to induce certain Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries to rent NIVs.

Read more on www.justice.gov

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