Feds: Southington Doctor To Pay Gov't $2.6M To Settle Fraud Probe

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Southington doctor and his practice have agreed to pay the state and federal government more than $2.6 million to settle a health care fraud and kickback probe.

In a lengthy and detailed statement issued Thursday, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the settlement concerns the "Feel Well Health Center of Southington" and Dr. Kevin P. Greene.

Avery and Tong said both entitites entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and agreed to pay more than $2.6 million to resolve multiple allegations they violated federal and state false claims acts.

State and federal officials said Greene and his practice improperly billed federal and state health care programs and they received illegal kickbacks.

Authorities said Greene is a physician and the principal member and owner of what was once called the "Feel Well Health Center" (now doing business as “Confidia Health Institute”), a primary care medical practice with offices in Southington and Bristol.

The said Greene also operated a medical practice in Indialantic, Fla., until mid-2019. (Southington Doctor Issues Statement On $2.6 Million Settlement)

The federal and state governments allege Greene and Feel Well improperly billed Medicare, Connecticut Medicaid and State of Connecticut Comptroller Healthcare programs.

According to Tong and Avery, between April 2016 and January 2020, Greene and Feel Well submitted false claims for payment for medical visits when, in fact, the patients had received fitness-related services with no legitimate medical component.

This, Tong and Avery said, was at a gym they operated that was staffed by a medically unlicensed coach and yoga instructor.

Greene and Feel Well created false medical records for these gym visits and attached false diagnoses in association with these claims, authorities said.

In addition, the governments allege that between April 2016 and March 2020, Greene and Feel Well submitted false claims for services allegedly rendered by Greene in an office setting.

In reality, Tong and Avery said, Greene was not physically present in the office suite, including when he was out of the country, on vacation or in a different office at the time.

The fraud allegations also concern telehealth services, which become more common during the pandemic.

Tong and Avery said, for instances where Greene and Feel Well submitted claims for alleged telemedicine, they did not meet applicable telemedicine requirements for office location or use an interactive telecommunications system.

The state and federal government also alleged Greene and Feel Well also submitted false claims for medically unnecessary testing or procedures for neurofeedback, ultrasounds and autonomic function testing between April 2016 and August 2021.

According to Tong and Avery, Greene and Feel Well violated the "Anti-Kickback Statute" by receiving remuneration from Boston Heart Diagnostics Corp. in return for ordering from the company clinical laboratory services for Medicare patients.

The payments were in the form of purported “processing and handling” fees between October 2012 and June 2014 and “speaker” fees, which were for rates greater than fair market value, between January 2017 and December 2018, according to authorities.

State and federal officials said Greene and Feel Well agreed to pay $2,656,685.52, plus interest, to resolve their liabilities.

Authorities also said Greene and Feel Well have also entered into a three-year billing integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This, Tong and Avery said, is designed to ensure future compliance with the requirements of federal health care programs.

“We allege in this case that Dr. Greene and his medical practice fraudulently billed federal and state health care programs for several years and also received illegal kickbacks involving laboratory services ordered for Medicare patients,” said Avery.

“Physicians and medical practices who participate in taxpayer-funded health care plans have an obligation to bill for services honestly and accurately and comply with other federal laws. Those who don’t will be held accountable.”

“Dr. Greene and Feel Well Health Center billed the state both for services he did not provide as well as for costly tests that were medically unnecessary,” added Tong.

“He falsified records and diagnoses to bill the state for fitness services with no legitimate medical component. He accepted illegal kickbacks for lab testing, enriching himself in violation of federal law. Our settlement forces him to pay $2.6 million, as well as commit to a series of rigorous oversight measures to ensure this unacceptable misconduct never happens again.”

The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services.

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS, according to Tong and Avery.