Escondido, Calif.-based Veni-Express, a mobile phlebotomy lab, and its owners have agreed to pay at least $135,000 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims for mobile phlebotomy services and related travel mileage.
Here are five things to know about the settlement:
1. According to an Oct. 22 Department of Justice news release, Veni-Express' owners, Myrna and Sonny Steinbaum, allegedly submitted false or fraudulent claims to federal healthcare programs for venipuncture procedures during homebound patient visits from 2015 to 2019 that the company did not actually perform.
2. The company also allegedly submitted false claims for travel mileage associated with these visits that were not reimbursable by Medicare.
3. From July 2014 to June 2015, Veni-Express allegedly paid unlawful kickbacks to Altera Laboratories, also known as Med2U Healthcare, for marketing Veni-Express' services, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
4. Veni-Express will pay $100,000, along with additional amounts based on the sale of company property.
5. Myrna Steinbaum will pay $25,000, and Sonny Steinbaum will pay $10,000.