Trident USA Health Services LLC to Pay $8.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for

[TexasTowelie]

Trident USA Health Services LLC to Pay $8.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Alleged Kickback Scheme


PHILADELPHIA, PA – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today an $8.5 million civil settlement to resolve two False Claims Act cases, United States et al. ex rel. Ravi Srivastava v. Trident USA Health Services LLC, Symphony Diagnostic Services No. 1, Inc. dba MobilexUSA, Civil Action No. 16-2956 (E.D. Pa.), and United States ex rel. Peter Goldman v. Symphony Diagnostic Services No. 1, LLC, d/b/a MobilexUSA, Civil Action No. 19-cv-01603 (E.D. Pa.). The lawsuits were filed by whistleblowers Ravi Srivastava and Peter Goldman, respectively, on behalf of the United States. The defendant is MobilexUSA, also known as Trident USA Health Services, LLC (Trident).

Trident provides mobile diagnostic services, including mobile x-rays, to individuals residing in skilled nursing facilities. The United States pays Trident to provide mobile x-rays to Medicare and Medicaid participants in these skilled nursing facilities. Whistleblower Srivastava had been Trident’s Chief Information Officer, and whistleblower Goldman had been a Trident regional sales manager. Based upon these whistleblowers’ allegations that Trident was engaged in a kickback scheme with skilled nursing facilities, the government investigated Trident’s pricing arrangements and its costs to provide mobile x-rays at these facilities.

Based upon its investigation, the government alleges that, from approximately June 2006 through September 2019, Trident engaged in illegal “swapping” arrangements under which Trident provided mobile x-rays to skilled nursing facilities at prices below Trident’s costs to provide the services, or below fair market value, for the purpose of inducing the facilities to refer lucrative federal health program business to Trident. Federal law prohibits the payment of kickbacks in exchange for the referral of federal healthcare business, including for healthcare that will be paid by the federal government through Medicare or Medicaid. Trident, like other companies that submit claims for payment to Medicare or Medicaid, is required to certify that it is compliant with federal anti-kickback laws. The government alleges that Trident’s certifications of anti-kickback law compliance were false certifications.

On February 10, 2019, Trident filed for bankruptcy protection. In bankruptcy, Trident sought to extinguish the government’s ability to collect any damages or penalties from Trident in connection with the illegal swapping arrangements. Despite Trident’s bankruptcy, the government and whistleblowers Srivastava and Goldman and their counsel worked together closely and continued their vigorous pursuit of the government’s claims, resulting in the $8.5 million settlement.

Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/trident-usa-health-services-llc-pay-85-million-resolve-false-claims-act-liability