The former owner of Providence Home Health and Providence Hospice has agreed to pay $1.05 million to settle claims she knowingly and willfully paid improper kickbacks for referrals of Medicare patients to her businesses. Teresita Lumanas Alquero owned both entities at the time of the alleged violations but has since sold them. Alquero had employed two individuals who filed a whistleblower lawsuit in June 2017 alleging various instances of fraud. Alquero allegedly paid kickbacks to a medical director for Providence. The medical directorship payments exceeded fair market value and were paid over a two-year period to induce him to refer Medicare patients to Providence for home healthcare and hospice services. Alquero also allegedly submitted false claims for payment to Medicare identifying a specific attending physician from April 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2016. That physician was actually incarcerated during that time. His medical license was suspended April 12, 2016. As part of the settlement, Alquero also agreed to a five-year period of exclusion from participation from Medicare, Medicaid and all other federal healthcare programs.
