St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center Settles Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Lawsuit for $2.3 Million
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a health care fraud lawsuit under the False Claims Act against the ST. LUKE’S-ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL CENTER (the “Hospital”), CONTINUUM HEALTH PARTNERS, INC., and SLR PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATES (“SLR”) (collectively, “ST. LUKE’S”) for improperly billing Medicare and Medicaid for out-patient services provided at its mental health clinics.
The settlement, which was approved yesterday by United States Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin, sitting by designation, requires ST. LUKE’S to pay $2,325,000 to settle the Government’s claims for damages and penalties under the False Claims Act. The amount includes $1,258,115.17 to be paid to the United States and the balance to the State of New York for its share of the Medicaid overpayment.
The lawsuit alleges that ST. LUKE’S engaged in billing shenanigans that siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars out of government health care programs intended to benefit elderly and low-income individuals. The Office’s Civil Frauds Unit is handling the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney [Name] is in charge.
“As they admitted today, St. Luke’s engaged in billing shenanigans that siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars out of government health care programs intended to benefit elderly and low-income individuals. Medicare and Medicaid fraud divert precious and dwindling resources from those who truly need help, and this Office will keep protecting those resources,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated.
Pursuant to the settlement, ST. LUKE’S will pay $1,258,115.17 to the United States and $1,066,884.83 to the State of New York in damages and civil penalties within ten days of the settlement. The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services assisted in the case, as did the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the New York State Attorney General.
Defendant: ST. LUKE’S-ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL CENTER (the “Hospital”), CONTINUUM HEALTH PARTNERS, INC., and SLR PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATES (“SLR”) (collectively, “ST. LUKE’S”)
Criminal Charges: Healthcare Fraud under the False Claims Act
City and State: New York, New York
Exact Date: February 1998 through 2002 and 2003 through 2010
Sentence or Outcome: $2,325,000 settlement, $1,258,115.17 to the United States and $1,066,884.83 to the State of New York
Dollar Amounts: $1,258,115.17 to the United States, $1,066,884.83 to the State of New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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