Reliant Rehabilitation Holdings Will Pay $6.1 Million to Settle Kickback Allegations

Reliant Rehabilitation Holds, Inc., a national rehabilitative care provider based in Plano, Texas, will pay $6.1 million to the federal government to settle claims it paid kickbacks to its skilled nursing facilities and doctors.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Reliant violated the False Claims Act by pairing up clients with nurse practitioners for free or at a low cost between April 1, 2013, and May 1, 2017. Here’s what the release from the Justice Department said:

“Reliant knowingly offered improper inducements, in the form of Reliant-employed nurse practitioners who worked at client nursing homes without charge or for a nominal, below fair market fee in order to induce or reward nursing homes for contracting with Reliant to provide rehabilitation therapy for their residents. The settlement between the United States and Reliant resolves this claim, as well as a separate allegation that Reliant violated the FCA by causing the submission of claims to Medicare that were tainted by improper contracts between Reliant and physicians working at skilled nursing facilities that offered the physicians above fair market compensation for supervising and collaborating with Reliant nurse practitioners in exchange for the facilities’ therapy business.”

Reporting kickbacks and other illegal activity

Healthcare fraud costs the United States billions of dollars every single year, and kickbacks are just one example of a type of practice that is illegal under federal law.

In many cases, it is only with the help of information provided by internal whistleblowers that the federal government is able to take action against the offenders and prevent them from costing taxpayers money.

For more information on the steps you should take if you become aware of wrongdoing in your workplace, consult an experienced lawyer with Kardell Law Group.