© 2024 WUKY
background_fid.jpg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Judgment: Nurses' Registry To Pay $16M To Medicare

nursesregistry.com

A once prominent Kentucky healthcare company has agreed to pay a $16 million dollar civil judgment against them over federal fraud allegations.

  Nurses’ Registry, which provides therapy and other home health services for close to 1,350 patients and once ran ads featuring UK basketball coach John Calipari, will soon be sold off with 70 percent of the net proceeds heading to the federal government. Medicare officials had accused the company of widespread fraudulent billings and kickbacks, including the promise of game tickets to doctors in exchange for referrals.

"The taxpayers will recover a significant amount of money that they were defrauded out of and Nurses' registry will no longer be in business to engage in further fraudulent conduct," says U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky Kerry Harvey.

The estate of the late owner of Nurses Registry, Lennie House, will also hit the auction block with the lion’s share of the sale price reimbursing Medicare. But even then, the federal government can expect to eat a large portion of the costs.

"There have been some intervening factors, such as Nurses' Registry filing for bankruptcy protection a few months ago, claiming it was insolvent," Harvey says, adding that he feels the settlement represents the best deal possible at this time.

Federal officials estimate Nurses’ Registry racked up more than $30 million in improper billing while kickbacks tainted another $4.8 million in payments.

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.