US Attorney taking action on Fraud against Medicare

United States Attorney Bill Nettles announced that the government has reached settlements with three Emergency Medical Technicians and one Paramedic resolving allegations that they assisted Williston’s Rescue Squad in defrauding Medicare by transporting patients who clearly did not need ambulance transport for weekly dialysis treatments.  The settlements ranged from $5,000 to $2,000 and were based on the individuals’ ability to pay.  The District of South Carolina has been investigating the unnecessary transportation of dialysis patients for several years and has settled with numerous offending ambulance companies.   However, this is the first time line individuals who assisted in the transports and created false records to support medical necessity have been the subject of the investigation.  In this case, the individuals documented the patients were transported by stretcher when they walked to the ambulance. “Medicare pays around $50,000 a year for the ambulance transportation of one dialysis patient. When it is medically necessary, ambulance transportation is appropriate.  But when it is not, it is fraud and this fraud could not be perpetrated without the assistance of these licensed individuals.  In the past we have focused on the companies and we will continue to do so but individuals who are participating in the fraud by misrepresenting information on medical records and transporting people who clearly do not need an ambulance are not immune,” said U.S. Attorney Nettles.  If you suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud, please report it by phone at 1-800-447-8477.