A San Antonio woman was sentenced in a federal court to 10 years of probation and fined $200,000 for two charges related to healthcare kickbacks. According to court documents, from June 2014 to April 2019, Amber Ashley Price, 40, engaged in a conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks in return for sending prescriptions to specific pharmacies. Some prescriptions were paid for by federal insurance programs including Medicare, Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, and TRICARE. Price, an employee of Kindred Home Health, would also refer patients to other home health agencies in the San Antonio area for a kickback payment. At least some of the patients referred were Medicare beneficiaries. Codefendant Christopher Patrick Cruz, 49, of San Antonio, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 21. Cruz owned a medical marketing business and conspired with Price to increase the volumes of prescriptions of specific pharmacies.
