Hospice Chain Settles $1.9M Whistleblower Kickback Lawsuit
A federal judge in Georgia has released a $1.93 million settlement in a decade-old qui tam lawsuit against Homestead Hospice and affiliated entities, including Creative Hospice Care, Traditions Health, and related individuals. The case alleged violations of the anti-kickback statute and False Claims Act tied to false Medicare and Georgia Medicaid claims filed between 2008 and 2015, stemming from monthly stipends and signing bonuses paid to medical directors in exchange for patient referrals. Creative Hospice was separately ordered to pay $9.2 million in restitution. The lawsuit originated from a whistleblower complaint filed by a former marketing employee, with payment to plaintiffs delayed for years amid litigation over applicable interest rates.