Montgomery, AL – The Justice Department is accusing a hospice company that operates in Alabama of submitting millions in false claims to Medicare for serving patients who were not terminally ill and didn't qualify for hospice care.
The department joined in a whistleblower suit that had already been filed in federal court in Birmingham by two women who worked for AseraCare Hospice. Federal officials say Medicare payments for hospice are intended for patients with six months or less to live, but AseraCare didn't follow the rules.
Company officials said the allegations are without merit, and the company treats terminally ill patients with diseases where it is impossible to predict how fast they will progress.
AseraCare Hospice is based in Fort Smith, Ark., and has operations in 19 states.
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