A doctor of osteopathic medicine in Houston has agreed to pay $475,000 to resolve allegations that he falsely certified patients for home health services and received improper payments.
The investigation, which began in 2016, revealed that 51-year-old Truc Le had certified patients for home health services without any knowledge of the patients’ medical condition or homebound status. Instead, he regularly signed forms provided by Unified Medical Group Inc., a home health agency. In addition, Unified sent Le improper payments in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
“Medical professionals put the integrity of our federal health care programs at risk when they just rubber stamp forms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. “It is made worse when improper payments are the source of their motivation.”
This article originally appeared on McKnight's Senior Living
