The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against a Vacaville company alleging one of its owners and seven skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) “systematically paid money to referring physicians…to induce those physicians to make patient referrals, in knowing and willful violation” of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The complaint in intervention, which was filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles late Monday, names as defendants Paksn Inc.; Prema Thekkek, one of its owners; and seven SNFs owned by Thekkek and/or operated by Paksn. The United States alleges that the defendants entered into medical directorship agreements with certain physicians that purported to provide compensation for administrative services, but in reality, were vehicles for the payment of kickbacks to induce the physicians to refer patients to the seven SNFs.
The United States specifically alleges that the defendants hired certain physicians who promised in advance to refer a large number of patients to the SNFs, paid physicians in proportion to the number of expected referrals, and terminated physicians who did not refer enough patients. On one occasion, a Paksn employee told Thekkek that two physicians were being hired because “they are promising at least 10 patients for $2000 per month.” On another, Thekkek complained that if Paksn’s employees did not pay medical directors promptly every month, “[t]hese doctors will not give us patients.” On a third occasion, a Paksn employee told Thekkek that because “lately there are no real referrals” from one of the medical directors, “i am planning to say goodbye to him.”
