According to the government’s allegations, Nursing Personnel Home Care knowingly supplied aides with phony training certificates to Extended Home Care and Excellent Home Care, which then billed New York Medicaid for the aides’ services. The government also alleged that Extended Home Care and Excellent Home Care knowingly billed for aides with phony certificates who were untrained and that Extended and Excellent knowingly submitted claims to the Medicare program for home health aide services purportedly rendered by aides supplied by Nursing Personnel that were not actually provided.
The United States is receiving nearly $9.7 million as a result of the settlement with these three companies, and the state of New York is receiving around $14.3 million, for a total recovery of $24 million.
The allegations resolved by today’s settlements were initiated by two lawsuits filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens to file suit on behalf of the United States for fraud and share in any recovery. Maurice Keshner will receive $251,107 from the government’s recovery from Nursing Personnel. Deborah Yannicelli will receive $1.66 million from the government’s recovery from Extended Home Care and Excellent Home Care.
Read the DOJ’s release on the New York home health agencies’ settlements.
