San Diego, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/15/2018 -- The Whistleblower Institute announces that Chemed Corporation and Vitas Hospice Services reached a $75 million settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit over submitting false claims for hospice services to Medicare.

Those who have a similar case or experienced a similar situation or any other wrongdoing within a corporation have certain options and should contact the Whistleblower Institute at mail@whistleblowerinstitute.com or call: 619-452–1218. There are no costs or obligations to you.

A settlement has been reached to resolve False Claims Act allegations against Chemed Corporation and Vitas Hospice Services.

The allegations arose from a lawsuit that claimed Chemed Corporation and various wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Vitas Hospice Services LLC and Vitas Healthcare Corporation submitted false claims for hospice services to Medicare.

According to the government, between 2002 and 2013 Vitas knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted false claims to Medicare for services to hospice patients who were not terminally ill. Allegedly, Vitas billed for patients who were not terminally ill and thus did not qualify for the hospice benefit. Furthermore, allegedly the defendants rewarded employees with bonuses for the number of patients receiving hospice services, without regard to whether they were actually terminally ill and whether they would have benefited from continuing curative care.

In addition, allegedly between 2002 and 2013, Vitas knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted false claims to Medicare for continuous home care services that were not necessary, not actually provided, or not performed in accordance with Medicare requirements. Allegedly, the defendants set goals for the number of continuous home care days billed to Medicare and used aggressive marketing tactics and pressured staff to increase the volume of continuous home care claims, without regard to whether the patients actually required this level of crisis care.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for seniors and younger people with disabilities, which is funded by taxpayers.

The Medicare program's hospice benefit provides critical services to some of the most vulnerable patients in the country, and the Justice Department "will continue to ensure that this valuable benefit is used to assist those who need it – and not as an opportunity to line the pockets of those who seek to abuse it," Readler said.

Reportedly, the settlement by Chemed also resolves three lawsuits filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act.

The whistleblowers share of the settlement has not yet been determined.

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Chemed Corporation acquired Vitas in 2004.Vitas is the largest for-profit hospice chain in the United States.

The Whistleblower Institute is an information portal for current or former employees and other people having insight information about wrongdoing and other illegal activities by individuals either individually or within corporations, through company culture and or within international affairs. Whistleblowers should keep in mind that under the Dodd-Frank Act any person who provides the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") with original information that leads to a successful enforcement action with over $1 million recovered must be awarded between 10%-30% of the total amount recovered. In order to determine the total amount of the reward there are numerous factors that need to be considered. Whistleblower actions are complex and our goal is to guide any whistleblower every step of the way. The Whistleblower Institute is dedicated to partnering with any individual who have information about fraud and we work with many of the best law firms worldwide.

Those who have a similar case or experienced a similar situation or any other wrongdoing within a corporation have certain options and should contact the Whistleblower Institute.

Contact:
Whistleblower Institute
2534 State Street - Suite 406
San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Phone: +1 (619) 452–1218
Facsimile: +1 (619) 785 – 3185
Email: mail@whistleblowerinstitute.com

The material was prepared by the Whistleblower Institute for informational purposes only and is not legal or financial advice. The information is provided only as general information which may or may not reflect the most currently available public information, is not provided as a basis for any established or existing relationship, and is not intended to constitute legal or financial advice, or to substitute for obtaining such advice from an attorney or other advisor licensed in your state.