Healthcare Compliance Perspective:
The most challenging compliance exposure to root out involves kickbacks for referrals. The starting point is to look for gifts from third-party providers and suppliers of products. Gifts must be reported to the Compliance Committee in accordance with fraud, waste and abuse policy and procedure.
Nine assisted living facility owners were sentenced to prison for their fraudulent scheme to receive healthcare kickbacks and bribes in exchange for referrals for prescription medication and durable medical equipment paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. The sentences imposed upon the nine defendants ranged from eight months to one year and one day in prison. A tenth owner was sentenced to home confinement. Additionally, all ten defendants were ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay restitution and are subject to forfeiture judgments.
