A Florida healthcare company called A Plus Home Health Care Inc. and its owners have agreed to pay $1.65 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that the company induced referrals by hiring the spouses of referring physicians for sham jobs.  According to the government, A Plus hired the partners of physicians for sham “marketing” positions that involved little to no actual responsibilities.  Two spouses were allegedly fired when their physician partners referred an insufficient number of patients to A Plus.  Five couples have already settled allegations that they were beneficiaries of A Plus’ arrangement.

The allegations were brought to the attention of the government by A Plus’ former director of development, William Guthrie.  Mr. Guthrie will receive a portion of what the government recovers as a reward for bringing the alleged fraud to light.

Read the DOJ press release, “Florida Home Health Care Company and its Owners Agree to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for $1.65 Million”