Consulate Health Care Faces Scrutiny in Florida
Consulate Health Care owns a tenth of Florida’s nursing homes. In Hillsborough County they run multiple care centers. There are another 67 locations in other cities throughout the state. Recently, Consulate Health Care has come under scrutiny for both defrauding the government and for poor handling of coronavirus.
Fraud For Providing Unnecessary Medical Treatments to Residents
According to Naples Daily News, Consulate Health Care faces over a $100 million judgement for defrauding the government by providing unnecessary medical treatments to the residents. PR Newswire reported that the case is one of the largest False Claims Act cases upheld in an appeal. An employee of Consulate Health Care filed suit in 2011, stating that the company was overcharging Medicare and Medicaid. The staff at these nursing homes routinely upcoded claims to and falsified hundreds of residents’ medical documents. This is a clear sign that profits were prioritized over giving proper care to the residents who are living at these nursing homes. Now that the company owes a quarter billion dollars to the government, they may try to cut costs by lowering the level of care they provide residents. This could prove extremely detrimental to the elderly who reside in one of the Consulate Health Care nursing homes in Florida, particularly at a time when coronavirus is ravaging the state.
Consulate Health Care is Being Investigated By Congress
In addition to government fraud, Consulate Health Care is also being examined to see the level of care they have provided during coronavirus. WUSF Public Media reported that the company is one of five nursing home chains that received a letter on June 16th from the House Majority Whip, James Clyburn, demanding documentation on the measures they have taken to control coronavirus. During inspections done by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services there was evidence that these nursing homes were not taking adequate safety precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus. As a result, they have been asking to provide Congress information such as:
- Number of beds;
- How many beds are privately paid for v. Medicare or Medicaid paid;
- Demographic of residents;
- Income and vacation time offered to employees;
- Personal protective equipment offered to employees;
- Number of coronavirus illness and deaths; and
- What complaints the company has received since January 1st.
The other nursing home chains that have been asked to provide documentation to Congress include Genesis HealthCare, Life Care Centers of America, Ensign Group, and SavaSeniorCareSava.
Contact a Tampa Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today
If you have an elderly loved one who is a nursing home resident at one of Consulate Health Care’s Florida locations, it is important you pay attention to the level of care they are receiving. Between the fraud judgement against the company and scrutiny from Congress, there are problems that the company faces and those issues may affect staffing and morale in those nursing facilities. If you suspect any medical mistreatment, abuse, or neglect, it is critical that you speak with a qualified Tampa nursing home abuse lawyer at Kohn Law Contact our offices at 813-428-8504 to schedule your free consultation.
Resources:
naplesnews.com/story/news/local/florida/2020/07/02/consulate-health-care-florida-fraud-reinstated-judgment-255-million/3278365001/
prnewswire.com/news-releases/255-million-medicare-fraud-verdict-against-consulate-health-care-upheld-on-appeal-in-whistleblower-case-litigated-by-kellogg-hansen-301085921.html
wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/congress-investigates-owner-69-long-term-care-facilities-florida-after-coronavirus-deaths
https://www.kohnlawcares.com/determining-abuse-without-visiting-the-nursing-home/
