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Fraud, Abuse, Or Retaliation
Where To Report Waste Fraud, Abuse, Or Retaliation

Pain Management Companies Agree to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Allegations They Violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute

Publication date: 
Friday, October 2, 2020

United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced today that Advanced Pain Management (“APM”) has agreed to pay $1 million to settle claims asserting violations of the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks and by performing medically unnecessary laboratory tests.  APM is a collection of companies including Advanced Pain Management Holdings, Inc. (“APMH”), its wholly-owned subsidiaries APM Wisconsin MSO and Advanced Pain Management LLC, and Advanced Pain Management S.C. (“APM SC”).

The United States alleged that APMH improperly gifted shares of incentive stock to non-employee APM SC physicians who performed pain management procedures at APMH’s ambulatory surgical centers.  The incentive stock was to be redeemed upon a sale of APMH and was dependent on the profitability of APMH, which was determined largely by referrals from the non-employee physicians.  The incentive stock was allegedly given as a reward for past and anticipated referrals to APMH’s ambulatory service centers.

The United States further contended that APMH paid non-employee physicians to serve as medical directors in a manner that was tied to the volume of procedures at APMH’s ambulatory surgery centers.  There were no written agreements documenting the services the medical directors were to provide, and the medical directors were not required to record or report any medical director functions.

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by federally funded programs.  The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that a physician’s medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives and is instead based on the best interests of the patient.

The United States also alleged that APM performed confirmatory urine drug tests that were medically unnecessary.  For certain claims, providers allegedly failed to customize orders for confirmatory urine drug tests based on each patient’s individualized risk assessment and circumstances, resulting in a higher level of testing than supported by the medical record.  APM disclosed these improper urine drug test claims to the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Healthcare providers must make recommendations about their patients’ health without respect to their own financial interests,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ethan P. Davis for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “We will continue to do our part to protect federal health care program beneficiaries and the American taxpayers from the corrupting influence of kickbacks designed to undermine the impartiality and integrity of physician decisionmaking.”   

“The financial arrangements pursued by APMH wrongly gave physicians an incentive to make medical decisions based on their own financial interests, rather than their patients’ interests,” said U.S. Attorney Krueger.  “Medicare and Medicaid only pay for procedures and tests that are medically necessary and untainted by kickbacks.  This settlement reflects our office’s continuing efforts to combat violations of the False Claims Act and improper arrangements under the Anti-Kickback Statute.”

 “It is imperative that the public has faith and trust that the decisions made by medical providers are based upon the best interests of their patients” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region.  “The specter of a payment of a kickback in any form or fashion diminishes that faith and trust and can lead to the improper payment and wasting of limited taxpayer dollars.  The OIG will continue to work with our investigative partners to ensure the continued integrity of federally funded health care programs.”

The government’s lawsuit resulted from a whistleblower complaint filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  Accordingly, the whistleblower will receive a share of the settlement.  The lawsuit is captioned United States, et al. ex rel. Hedstrom v. Advanced Pain Mgmt., et al., Case No. 13-C-556, and is pending in the District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

APM’s settlement with the United States is based on ability to pay, and is part of a broader settlement that also resolves various state law claims.

Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Yun represented the government in this matter, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.  The settlement agreement states allegations only; APM does not admit liability for the allegations.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

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Additional Details
URL
Component
USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern;
OIG
Department of Health and Human Services OIG