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.
'Cruise lights' on Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office patrol cars raise questions, confusion among drivers
Every driver knows that when you see red and blue flashing lights on a patrol car, you slow down, pull over, or get out of the way.
But in Hillsborough County, drivers will also now see deputies with their lights on, but not flashing. They're called "cruise lights," and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) recently implemented their use on all patrol vehicles.
