Norwalk Medical Practice Allegedly Violated False Claims Act: DOJ

NORWALK, CT — A Norwalk medical practice, its Chief Executive Officer and a physician formerly employed by the practice have entered into a civil settlement agreement to pay $650,830 for allegedly violating the federal and state False Claims Acts.

According to a release from the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, World Health Clinicians, Inc. (WHC) is a medical practice located in Norwalk specializing in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients and sexually transmitted infections. Scott Gretz is the CEO of WHC, and Gary Blick worked at the practice from its inception in 2011 until 2016.

The government alleges that WHC, Blick and Gretz submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid programs by billing for physical therapy services and office visit services that were not provided.

Officials said instead of receiving physical therapy or office visit services, Medicare and Medicaid patients seen at the practice received massages provided by a massage therapist. Those services were allegedly billed to Medicare and Medicaid as if the patients had received physical therapy services and office visit services, officials said.

"Medicare does not recognize massage therapists as providers and expressly prohibits massage therapists from enrolling in the Medicare program," U.S. Attorney John H. Durham said in a release. "Under Connecticut law, massage therapists may not provide physical therapy, as physical therapy is expressly excluded from a massage therapist’s scope of practice. In addition, a massage therapist is not qualified to provide office visit services."

All three parties have agreed to pay $650,830 to resolve the allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts. According to their agreement, WHC and Gretz will pay $361,013.77, while Blick will pay $289,816.23.

“We expect that medical practices and physicians who participate in federal health care programs will bill for their services accurately and honestly,” Durham said. “The U.S. Attorney’s office in Connecticut is committed to vigorously pursuing health care providers who submit false claims to federal health care programs.”

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