Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that in the last several months, the office she leads prosecuted several significant cases that protected patients, consumers, and the community from healthcare fraud. In August of 2023, Lincare Holdings, Inc., agreed to pay $29 million to resolve allegations that it fraudulently overbilled Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans for oxygen equipment. The settlement is the largest-ever healthcare fraud settlement in the Eastern District of Washington. In addition to the $29 million paid by Lincare to address claims that Lincare submitted to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, in what is believed to be a first-of-a-kind False Claims Act Settlement, as part of the settlement, Lincare agreed to identify and repay Medicare beneficiaries who were overcharged co-pays. Pursuant to this provision, as of September 2024, Lincare has refunded payments to 4,917 patients for a total of $976,137. If patients believe that they may have been overbilled for oxygen equipment and have not received a refund, they can reach out to the United States Attorney’s Office of Public Affairs. Other major healthcare fraud cases filed or pending in the Eastern District of Washington include.
