August 31, 2023
Watermark Retirement Communities LLC, which manages 79 retirement homes across the country, has agreed to pay $4.25 million to settle claims of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act.聽 According to a lawsuit launched by David Freeman, the former director of strategic growth for a nationwide home health agency (HHA), between 2014 and 2020, Watermark solicited and received kickbacks from the HHA in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries from 8 of its retirement facilities in 5 states, including Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, and Pennsylvania.聽 Watermark then caused false claims to be submitted in connection with those referrals.聽
Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Home Health and Hospice, Medicare, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,