Compliance News Roundup: Dental Provider Compliance Woes

1. Shire PLC Subsidiaries to Pay $350 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations - The Justice Department announced today that Shire Pharmaceuticals LLC and other subsidiaries of Shire plc (Shire) will pay $350 million to settle federal and state False Claims Act allegations that Shire and the company it acquired in 2011, Advanced BioHealing (ABH), employed kickbacks and other unlawful methods to induce clinics and physicians to use or overuse its product “Dermagraft,” a bioengineered human skin substitute approved by the FDA for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Shire plc is a multinational pharmaceutical firm headquartered in Ireland, with its United States operational headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts. Shire sold the assets associated with Dermagraft in early 2014. Read moer here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/shire-plc-subsidiaries-pay-350-million-settle-false-claims-act-allegations

2. Medstar Ambulance to Pay $12.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Medically Unnecessary Transport Services and Inflated Claims to Medicare - Medstar Ambulance Inc., including four subsidiary companies and its two owners, Nicholas and Gregory Melehov, have agreed to pay $12.7 million to resolve allegations that the Massachusetts-based ambulance company knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare, the Department of Justice announced today. Read more here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/medstar-ambulance-pay-127-million-resolve-false-claims-act-allegations-involving-medically

3. Deeper Than The Headlines: Dental Practice Compliance Woes - In this blog post I dive deep into the headlines to explain the recent false claims settlement involving dental practices. Dental practices in multiple states that were affiliated with the dental organization MB2 Dental Solutions recently settled for $8.45 million with the U.S. Government to resolve False Claims Act allegations involving Medicaid pediatric patients. The allegations were brought to the government’s attention through a former employee who worked as an office manager, regional director and in other higher profile positions. The court documents showed allegations of kickbacks, unnecessary care and services not provided as billed. Read more here: Deeper Than the Headlines: Dental Compliance Woes