Columbus-based home health care company settles allegations of improper billing, agrees to pay United States $175,000

U.S. Attorney's Office

Southern District of Ohio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Columbus-based home health care company settles allegations of improper billing, agrees to pay United States $175,000

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Altimate Care LLC has agreed to pay $175,000 to resolve claims that the company improperly billed government health insurance programs including Medicare and Ohio Medicaid for services the company provided between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2018.

The settlement agreement between Altimate and the United States Department of Justice acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services resolves allegations made in a complaint filed by a former company employee. The complaint alleged that Altimate violated the False Claims Act by billing federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary nursing visits, billing for patients that were not homebound and manipulating patient records and records of nursing visits to justify false and fraudulent claims. The complaint alleges that the company's former owners knew of and approved the activities.

Altimate agreed to pay the United States $175,000 of which $87,500 is restitution. The company also agreed to resolve a retaliation claim filed by the former employee.

"The company was sold in 2018 and the new owners worked quickly to resolve the complaint," U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. "We will continue to work with the HHS Inspector General as they investigate reports of fraud and abuse of federal health care programs."

DeVillers urged anyone who suspects fraud against federal healthcare programs to call 1-800-447-8477 (1-800-HHS-TIPS).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Malek is representing the United States in the case.

# # #

Contact:

[email protected]

Updated May 28, 2020