Alpharetta, Ga.-based Sweet Dreams Nurse Anesthesia reached a more than $1 million settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Georgia False Medicaid Claims Act, according to the Department of Justice.
Here are five key notes:
1. Sweet Dreams agreed to pay to the United States $1.03 million and the state of Georgia $12,078.79 to resolve allegations.
2. According to the allegations, Sweet Dreams Nurse Anesthesia paid kickbacks to providers to encourage referrals of Medicare and Medicaid patients.
3. One alleged scheme involved Sweet Dreams' providing free anesthesia drugs to ambulatory surgery centers in exchange for granting Sweet Dreams an exclusive contract to provide anesthesia services at those ASCs.
4. Another alleged scheme involved a Sweet Dreams affiliate agreeing to fund the construction of an ASC in Marietta, Ga., in exchange for selecting Sweet Dreams as the exclusive anesthesia provider at that facility, as well as at other podiatry-based ASCs affiliated with the Marietta ASC.
5. The lawsuit was filed by a whistleblower, who will receive a share of the settlement.