On June 21, Attorney General Rob Bonta, with the U.S. Department of Justice, announced a $3.8 million settlement with a Riverside skilled nursing facility, Alta Vista Healthcare & Wellness Centre and its management company, Rockport Healthcare Services, to resolve allegations of Medi-Cal fraud.
The defendants are accused of violating the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act, as well as the California False Claims Act, by paying illegal kickbacks to doctors to encourage them to refer Medicaid and Medi-Cal patients to Alta Vista.
As part of this settlement, the United States will receive $2.8 million and California will receive $596,700, based on the proportion of losses to state and federal funds.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
“Decisions that affect patient health should be made solely on the basis of a patient’s best interest,” said Bonta. “When a healthcare company cheats and offers kickbacks to gain an unfair advantage, it jeopardizes the health and well-being of those who rely on its services. These illegal schemes also make public services and programs costlier, and ultimately waste valuable taxpayer dollars. Today, I thank the U.S. Department of Justice for teaming up with the California Department of Justice on this case. This settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of Medi-Cal, and the taxpayer dollars that support the program.”
“Kickbacks...
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