A Lynchburg doctor who was “permanently banned” by his employer four days after filing a government complaint about billing practices will have his retaliation case decided by a jury.
The plaintiff filed suit alleging violations of the False Claims Act, or FCA, and Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act by alleging the medical practice retaliated against him for filing the complaint.
Motions for summary judgment filed by both parties were denied by Senior U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon in Oldham v. Centra Health Inc. (VLW 023-3-301).
“To prevail on an FCA retaliation claim, a relator must show ‘(1) he engaged in protected activity; (2) his employer knew about the protected activity; and (3) his employer took adverse action against him as a result,’” Moon wrote. “As material issues of fact exist as to these elements, the Court will deny both motions for summary judgment.”
Dwight S. Oldham began working for Lynchburg Hematology Oncology Clinic, or LHOC, in 1981. Most of the employees of the clinic became employees of the defendant, Centra Health, Inc., in 2014 based on a professional services agreement.
Wait times and bills increased following the professional services agreement; Oldham raised concerns through “multiple meetings with Centra administration about patients’ bills.”
In the spring and summer of 2016, Oldham raised concerns that Centra “was engaging in medically unnecessary care,” and complained to Centra’s CEO E.W. Tibbs about “excessive breast MRIs...
WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s years-long campaign to undermine faith in U.S. elections has gained broad traction with the American public, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows, p...