Federal and state prosecutors alleged that from March 2016 to July 2020, Southeastern submitted false claims for services that were not rendered, including instances where patients were either incarcerated or deceased on the billed dates, according to a Dec. 2 news release from the Department of Justice.
Investigations revealed that the services were not necessary and were systematically unprovided, lacking proper medical records to substantiate the claims.
The settlement addresses violations of both federal and state law, which allow for the recovery of triple the falsely obtained amounts plus penalties for each false claim submitted. The investigation was led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
