The United States Attorney’s Office has filed a complaint against Brookline-based Bournewood Health Systems and First Psychiatric Planners (FPP) for allegedly paying kickbacks in the form of free sober housing to induce patients to choose Bournewood and FPP over other treatment facilities. The United States Attorney’s Office filed the complaint under the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute against Bournewood Health Systems and FPP, together doing business as Bournewood.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has also joined the complaint under the Massachusetts False Claims Act and other state laws. It is alleged that Bournewood and FPP paid kickbacks in the form of free sober housing to induce substance use recovery patients to choose and attend Bournewood’s and FPP’s Partial Hospital Program, over a myriad of other treatment options and facilities, in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal False Claims Act, the Massachusetts Anti-Kickback Statute and the Massachusetts False Claims Act. The governments contend that Bournewood and FPP paid the kickbacks to sustain and grow their daily patient census and increase the amount of reimbursement received from insurers, including federal healthcare programs, for the provision of partial hospital program treatment services.
