Nursing Home Chain Agrees to $10 Million False Claims Settlement
- April 17, 2020
Saber Healthcare Group LLC and related entities agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that the nursing home chain knowingly caused skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to submit false claims to Medicare for rehabilitation therapy services that were not reasonable, necessary, or skilled, the Department of Justice announced April 14.
Saber Healthcare, based in Bedford Heights, OH, owns and operates SNFs in seven states, a press release said.
According to the release, the government alleged Saber improperly established general goals that all patients should be provided with the Ultra High level of therapy, regardless of the patients’ individual therapeutic needs, and enforced that expectation by pressuring therapists to provide Ultra High therapy to each patient at nine facilities.
In addition to the civil settlement, Saber entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General that requires an independent review organization to annually assess the medical necessity and appropriateness of therapy services billed to Medicare.
The settlement resolves allegations only, there has been no determination of liability.