Operators of Addiction Treatment Chain Charged in Alleged Health Care Fraud | USAO-RI

PROVIDENCE – The Massachusetts operator of a chain of addiction procedure clinics is billed in federal court docket in Providence, RI, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of health care fraud, aggravated id theft, funds laundering and obstruction, announced United States Lawyer Zachary A. Cunha.  In addition, the procedure centre and its former supervisory counselor were being also charged with wellbeing treatment fraud. 

Michael Brier, 60, of Newton, MA, Mi Ok Bruining, 62, of Warwick, RI, and Restoration Connections Facilities of America, Inc. (RCCA) are charged by criminal criticism with wellness care fraud.  Michael Brier was also billed in the grievance with aggravated identification theft, income laundering and obstruction. 

It is alleged in court paperwork that, Brier, Bruining, and RCCA shortchanged Rhode Island and Massachusetts substance abuse problem individuals out of significantly needed counseling and therapy products and services, though defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurers out of hundreds of thousands of bucks.

At a push conference asserting the fruits of this investigation and resulting felony prices and arrests, United States Lawyer Zachary A. Cunha commented, “What would make the fraud scheme that we have billed right now specifically pernicious – is that not only was this plan, as we allege, developed to defraud by enriching these defendants with federal and private healthcare bucks they did not generate, but that in the system it cheated a vulnerable populace of restoration patients out of the entire, real guidance and procedure that they require to have a probability at restoration.”

“Today’s arrests provide as a powerful reminder that we will not tolerate fraud techniques that focus on our federal overall health care applications, as alleged, nor will we acknowledge everything much less than substantial high quality care for the people served by people courses,” said Unique Agent in Cost Phillip M. Coyne of the U.S. Division of Wellbeing and Human Expert services, Place of work of Inspector Basic. “Our agency’s mission is to shield the properly-remaining of the general public and the integrity of the federal health and fitness care system, and we will hold accountable those people who request to exploit the opioid epidemic for own gain.”

“Today, we arrested and charged Michael Brier, Mi Ok Bruining, and Restoration Connections Facilities of America, for a wide-ranging plan in which they are accused of abusing our overall health care procedure, dishonest taxpayers, and leveraging the opioid crisis to acquire benefit of individuals having difficulties with substance abuse so the organization could rake in hundreds of thousands,” stated Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Cost of the FBI Boston Division. “The allegations established forth in this circumstance symbolize a single of the most brazen and egregious examples of health treatment fraud the FBI has noticed here in Rhode Island in latest record, and make no error, it is not a victimless criminal offense. Anytime the integrity of our federal health and fitness care programs is undermined, we all pay out the price via the price tag of bigger insurance premiums, bigger out-of-pocket bills, and co-pays, and even lessened or dropped advantages.”

In accordance to the charging files, Brier, Bruining and RCCA operated a chain of dependancy therapy facilities but unsuccessful to supply the individuals with the required counseling sessions and therapy, when simultaneous billing Medicare, Medicaid and other well being care payors for 45-moment counseling sessions on a regimen basis even even though the classes had been not a lot more than 15 minutes, and normally only 5-10 minutes or less.  At times, so several counseling periods have been billed at this amount that the full total of time would be difficult for the offered therapist to have provided in any 24 hrs period. 

Brier and RCCA are also alleged to have prompted a fraudulent software to be submitted to Medicare which, among the other items, misrepresented and concealed the part that Brier was taking part in in the company and failed to disclose Brier’s 2013 felony conviction for federal tax crimes, which was suitable to Medicare’s thing to consider of the application. 

The Complaint also alleges that Brier purported to follow medicine and wrote and brought on to be crammed fraudulent prescriptions using the names and prescriber info, which includes Drug Enforcement Administration numbers, of medical practitioners with out their permission.

Brier is also alleged to have falsified a doc in a issue within just the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States by producing the Health-related Director to indication a false and back-dated doc.

The complaint alleges that defendants brought about tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent billings to be submitted to Medicare and hundreds of thousands a lot more in fraudulent billings to other wellbeing treatment payors.

The federal government is also trying to find to forfeit thirteen lender accounts, two buildings, and two vehicles allegedly realized by the defendants as a result of the alleged felony conduct.

A federal legal criticism is just an accusation. A defendant is presumed harmless except if and until finally established guilty.

The circumstance is becoming prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Kevin Really like Hubbard.

The matter was investigated by the U.S. Office of Wellness and Human Products and services, Business of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the IRS, Customs and Border Security, and the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney Common for their assistance in the investigation.  

Moreover, United States Legal professional Cunha thanks the United States Office of Health and Human Providers and the Facilities for Illness Management, and their companions in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, for their quick reaction to set up solutions for clients who might be impacted by this legislation enforcement action.

In addition, United States Attorney Cunha thanks the United States Department of Wellness and Human Providers Facilities for Sickness Regulate and Prevention’s Opioid Speedy Response Program, and their associates in Rhode Island Section of Behavioral Healthcare and Massachusetts Section of General public Wellbeing, for assisting people who might be impacted by this law enforcement motion.

Rhode Island Office of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals is functioning to guarantee continuity of treatment method for RCCA sufferers. Rhode Island patients  in require of a new or rapid bridge prescription are urged to contact (401) 606-5454 Rhode Island sufferers in want of behavioral well being referrals for doctors, counselor, or clinic information and facts may possibly connect with (410) 414-Link.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health and fitness, Bureau of Compound Addiction Provider is operating to assure continuity of care and treatment method RCCA people.  Massachusetts clients in need of a new or quick bridge prescription are urged to call (617) 414-4175 Massachusetts people in will need of behavioral health and fitness referrals for medical professionals, counselor, or other services may well connect with (800) 327-5050 or use helplinema.com.

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