Vanguard, subsidiary to pay U.S., Tennessee
Brentwood Home Page news reports
NASHVILLE -- Vanguard and its wholly owned subsidiary Brentwood-based Vanguard Health Care Ancillary have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Tennessee $2 million to settle False Claims Act allegations, Jerry E. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced Tuesday.

 The settlement resolves claims by the United States and the state of Tennessee that Vanguard wrongly billed Medicare for enteral feeding services and supplies to patients in nursing homes that it also billed to the Tennessee Medicaid program. The settlement also resolves allegations that Vanguard wrongly billed Medicare for enteral feeding supplies that it received for free and for billing Medicare for patients who were not eligible for the skilled nursing in-patient benefit. 

Pursuant to the settlement agreement to pay a total of $2 million, Vanguard agreed to pay $1,880,619.02 to the United States and $119,380.98 to the state of Tennessee.  Vanguard will also enter into a comprehensive Corporate Integrity Agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

 “When health care providers double bill the Medicare and Medicaid programs we will hold them accountable,” Martin said.

Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper said, “We are grateful for the cooperation of all the state and federal agencies involved in this effort to stop these examples of double-billing because ultimately all Tennesseans pay the price.”

The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The settlement agreement was negotiated by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Rivera and United States Department of Justice attorney Jill Callahan represented the United States.