Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol and Drug Addiction’

Treatment Center Plead Guilty to Anti-kickback Statute Violations Involving Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Centers

Thursday, April 16th, 2020

By Fisher, JD, CHC, CCEP

Treatment Center Fraud Plea

Substance Abuse Treatment Center Fraud Scheme Results in Guilty Plea

The Department of Justice recently announced the guilty plea of two individual alcohol and substance abuse treatment center owners for their participation in what DOJ labeled a “multi-million dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme.”  The two individuals owned a licensed substance abuse service provider (or treatment center) offering clinical treatment services for persons suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. The treatment center also offered medication-based treatment for opioid addiction.

The government had accused the two owners of paying illegal kickbacks/bribes to “sober homes” in exchange for the referral of the sober homes’ insured residents to treatment program. The sober homes provided safe and drug-free residences for individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. This made them a prime source of potential referrals to the treatment program.

The accusations against these defendants read like a laundry list of thinly veiled kickback schemes.  Some of the specific accusations included:

  1. Providing funds used to purchase or rent several sober home properties under purchase agreements or leases that were in the names of other parties so as to disguise the source of funds.
  2. Paying remuneration for referrals in the form of free or reduced rent, insurance premiumRead more here: Health Law Blog