This week, state Attorney General Ashley Moody, working with federal partners, announced they are recovering thousands of dollars for Florida’s Medicaid program.
The recovery follows an investigation into an Ocala neurologist allegedly submitting false claims for medically unnecessary and unreasonable prescription drugs. As a result of the joint state and federal investigation, Florida Neurological Center, LLC and its owner, Dr. Lance Kim, have agreed to pay $800,000 to resolve allegations that Kim fraudulently prescribed drugs.
One drug that Kim allegedly falsely prescribed is Acthar Gel, which cost government health care programs more than $32,000 each time Kim prescribed a five-day supply. Pursuant to the agreement, the Florida Medicaid program will receive more than $113,000 in restitution.
“Defrauding Florida’s Medicaid program is not a victimless crime, it harms the taxpayers of our great state. My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigators work hard to protect taxpayers by identifying, investigating and stopping fraud exploiting this taxpayer-funded health care program—and recovering lost funds whenever possible,” Moody said on Tuesday.
According to the joint investigation, the defendants allegedly submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid from January 2013 through July 2020.
The settlement agreement following the investigation partially resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the Federal False Claims Act and Florida False Claims Act statutes. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the U.S. and/or the state of Florida and receive a portion of any recovery. The suit, filed in the Middle District of Florida, is captioned United States ex rel. Singbush v. Florida Neurological Center, LLC, Case No. 5:19-cv-603-Oc-GPB-PRL (M.D. Fla.).
As part of the agreement, the agreed claims remain allegations only and there is no determination of liability.
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