The Senate Finance Committee claims three of the nation's largest home-health operators tailored the care provided to Medicare patients to maximize reimbursements, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The committee says Amedisys, LHC Group and Gentiva Health Services encouraged employees to make enough home-therapy visits to qualify for bonus payments even if visits were not medically necessary. The SFC has recommended CMS stop using the number of therapy visits as a payment measure and instead use measures of patient well-being and health.
The committee launched the investigation last year following a Wall Street Journal report that analyzed the three companies' patterns of care and Medicare-claims data.
Last week, in a case unrelated to the SFC's inquiry, LHC Group reached a $65 million settlement with the Department of Justice to settle allegations of improper billing to Medicare, TRICARE and Federal Employees Health Benefits programs from 2006-2008.
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The committee says Amedisys, LHC Group and Gentiva Health Services encouraged employees to make enough home-therapy visits to qualify for bonus payments even if visits were not medically necessary. The SFC has recommended CMS stop using the number of therapy visits as a payment measure and instead use measures of patient well-being and health.
The committee launched the investigation last year following a Wall Street Journal report that analyzed the three companies' patterns of care and Medicare-claims data.
Last week, in a case unrelated to the SFC's inquiry, LHC Group reached a $65 million settlement with the Department of Justice to settle allegations of improper billing to Medicare, TRICARE and Federal Employees Health Benefits programs from 2006-2008.
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