Anesthesia Business Consultants mum over federal investigation involving ‘health care fraud’
Anesthesia Business Consultants spokespeople are mum over an ongoing investigation into allegations of health care fraud a day after federal agents searched the downtown Jackson business.
Agents executed a federal search warrant at the business, officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General confirmed Wednesday morning, July 15.
Anesthesia Business Consultants officials would not comment on the investigation Thursday morning, July 16. Media representatives are not allowed in the building, 255 W. Michigan Ave., officials said.
A news release from Anesthesia Business Consultants released about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday said representatives “are cooperating in the collection of the requested information and expect that our full staff in Jackson will resume business as usual.”
“There will be no disruption of service to clients,” the release read.
Federal agents are looking into “allegations of health care fraud, included but not limited to the Medicare program, the Medicaid program and some private insurance companies,” Joseph Napolitano, assistant special agent in charge, said Wednesday.
About 20 agents and 10 forensic specialists imaged computers and seized miscellaneous paper documents. The health care business closed its doors and sent a handful of employees home after the federal agents arrived about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
“It’s just an allegation at this point,” he said. “We’ll review the evidence and move on from there.”
Anesthesia Business Consultants employs roughly 300 people in its downtown Jackson offices. The company processes medical billing records before claims are sent to Medicare and Medicaid.
Will Forgrave covers city and county government for the Jackson Citizen Patriot. Contact him at wforgrav@mlive.com or 517-262-7554. Follow him on Twitter at @WillForgrave.
OIG To Recover More Than $3 Billion in Healthcare Fraud Enforcement
In its semiannual report to Congress this week, the Department of Health and Human Service’s (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced that it expects to recover more than $3 billion from enforcement activities conducted in the six-month period that ended March 31. In the same time period, the OIG:
- Excluded 1,935 individuals and entities from participation in federal health care programs;
- Brought 293 criminal actions against individuals or entities; and
- Initiated 164 civil actions (including some under the False Claims Act, unjust enrichment lawsuits, civil monetary penalties law settlements and administrative recoveries related to provider self-disclosure).
In the months ahead, the OIG will implement the healthcare fraud-related provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and oversee HHS’s healthcare reform activities. It will also continue its efforts with the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) in conjunction with the Department of Justice and HHS. HEAT initiatives include the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which coordinates law enforcement operations with other federal, state and local law enforcement entities in select cities around the country.
