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Florida ambulance company settles false claims allegation, pays $900,000

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The owners of a Florida medical transportation company have agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging they defrauded Medicare and Medicaid.

United States Attorney Gregory Kehoe with the Middle District of Florida announced Tuesday the owners of Courtesy Transport Services, Melanie Burger and Dr. John Milanick of Ocala, have agreed to pay $900,000 for alleged fraudulent billing by the transport service.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by a former Courtesy employee who alleged the owners submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for non-emergency ambulance services that are not reimbursable. According to Kehoe's release, in some cases, transport services were not actually provided to the patients at all.

Kehoe said the company submitted the false claims from June 1, 2013 though June 20, 2019.

“False and fraudulent claims for ambulance services harm both the integrity of important federal healthcare programs as well as the seniors who rely on them,” Kehoe said.

The Courtesy employee who filed the lawsuit will receive a share of the settlement proceeds, as stipulated in the False Claims Act, totaling $171,000, according to Kehoe.

Homeowners face foreclosure in same neighborhood where woman was jailed over lawn complaints

Irena Green, who spent seven days in the Hillsborough County Jail over what started out as HOA violations involving her lawn, is now facing foreclosure. But she's not the only homeowner.

Homeowners face foreclosure in same neighborhood where woman was jailed over lawn complaints