A Louisiana physician agreed to pay more than $600,000 to resolve allegation that he accepted kickback payments for referrals of home health patients.
The U.S. Justice Department said Dr. Llewelyn Simon, an internal medicine physician from Monroe, will pay $640,000 to resolve allegations that he accepted kickbacks.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, Dr. Simon, who served as a medical director for the now defunct United Home Care home health agency, accepted monthly payments that exceeded the fair market value of the services he provided. It is also alleged that the excess fees Simon received were for referrals of patients, many of whom were Medicare beneficiaries.
Simon was charged under the U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute, which was created to prevent financial incentives from improperly influencing medical decision-making which can lead to excessive and unnecessary services. Specifically, the Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by federal health care programs.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Theriot handled the case.
Source: U.S. Justice Department
Topics Louisiana
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