Hospice Fraud Lawyer and Whistleblower Attorney
Hospice, or end-of-life care, is a profession that demands extraordinary emotional strength, compassion, and nurturing. Hospice caregivers, including nurses, aides, and clergy, work closely with patients and their loved ones, providing vital support during a difficult and emotional process. Their work is important and commendable.
Unfortunately, not all hospice facilities reflect the values that the profession should represent. Some caregivers discover that the owners of their facility are engaging in fraud, particularly with respect to billing practices for costs covered by federal government programs. As a hospice fraud lawyer, I help brave whistleblowers expose fraud against the United States and the agencies involved in providing cost reimbursement.
If you are a hospice employee or have a loved one in a hospice facility and suspect the facility is committing fraud, I can assist you in reporting misconduct, seeking compensation as a whistleblower, and protecting your rights. I accept hospice facility fraud cases on a contingent fee basis, meaning that I only receive a fee if a case is successful, and this fee is paid by the government. Thus it does not cost you any money to have a case brought.
If you are aware of hospice facility fraud, I invite you to call me at (206) 324-8969 to schedule a consultation and to learn how to report fraud and the potential whistleblower compensation to which you may be entitled. I can answer any questions that you might have and also discuss the next steps and opportunities available for reporting fraud.
What is Hospice Facility Fraud?
Medicare covers a range of healthcare services for older Americans, including end-of-life care, commonly known as hospice or palliative care. Hospice care aims to ease suffering and make the patient’s last months and days as comfortable as possible.
Medicare generally pays hospice benefits for a patient if a provider certifies that the patient has a terminal condition expected to end in death within six months. However, some greedy hospice facilities use fraudulent means to collect payments for hospice services to which they are not entitled.
Some common types of hospice facility fraud include:
- Certification Fraud. Dishonest facilities will admit a patient whose condition does not meet the criteria for hospice or who does not even have a terminal condition, resulting in months or years of payments beyond the six months of eligible benefits. Sometimes these facilities will also falsify reevaluation reports to maintain eligibility for patients who do not qualify.
- A facility might offer doctors incentives such as money, gifts, and favors for referring patients to the facility.
- Billing Fraud and Upcoding. Fraudulent facilities often bill Medicare for services they have not provided, bill for a higher level of care than delivered (upcoding), or bill for unused equipment and supplies.
- Self-Referrals. Some doctors refer hospice patients to a facility they have a financial stake in, which is a conflict of interest.
- Substandard Care. Greedy facilities will increase profit by cutting corners, resulting in harm to patients, such as bedsores, dehydration, and malnutrition. Additional wrongful practices include understaffing the facility, failing to perform background checks, hiring unqualified staff, and failing to train staff appropriately.
If you are a hospice caregiver who has observed any of these practices, filing a whistleblower lawsuit might be the best option to protect your interests and hold your employer accountable.
How Does the Law Protect Whistleblowers?
Under the Federal False Claims Act, it is illegal to bill the U.S. government, including Medicare, under false pretenses. The False Claims Act also provides an avenue for whistleblowers who report wrongdoing to receive protection from retaliation and compensation by filing a Qui Tam lawsuit on behalf of taxpayers.
How Much Can Whistleblowers Receive for Reporting Hospice Fraud?
Typically, qualifying whistleblowers receive an award equal to at least 15% of the money recovered by the U.S. government in a False Claims Act lawsuit (although in rare circumstances this amount may be up to 30%).
Can I Be Legally Fired for Reporting Fraud?
No. If a whistleblower is fired from their job in retaliation for reporting fraud, they are also entitled to bring a claim against their employer for wrongful termination and to seek additional compensation in such lawsuit. Mr. Teller is very experienced in helping individuals fight retaliation. The best time to start is before the Whistleblower complaint or retaliation begins. Gathering evidence of fraud and documenting the circumstances or retaliation is much easier when employment has not been terminated yet.
Who Can be a Hospice Fraud Whistleblower?
To qualify as a whistleblower, you must possess knowledge of fraud that is not already known to the U.S. government and cannot have participated in the fraudulent activity yourself. Additionally, to be eligible for a whistleblower reward, you must be the first to report the fraud. Timing is crucial, as only the first person to come forward with credible information may receive the reward.
Because only the first person to report fraud is entitled to a reward, we strongly recommend calling right away to schedule a free consultation with an experienced hospice fraud attorney to ensure you don’t miss your opportunity to report the fraud and potentially collect a whistleblower reward.
How a Hospice Facility Fraud Law Firm Can Help
Whistleblower lawsuits are complex matters. With millions of dollars recovered for whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits, I am experienced in these complex cases.
If you are aware of hospice facility fraud, I would encourage you to contact me at your earliest convenience for a free consultation to learn about the options available for reporting fraud and potentially receiving a whistleblower reward.
There is no cost or obligation for this consultation, and we only receive a fee if money is recovered on behalf of the government.