First Coast Cardiovascular Institute in Jacksonville, Fla., has agreed to pay $448,821 to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act, according to the Department of Justice.
The government alleged FCCI violated the False Claims Act by knowingly retaining overpayments from federal healthcare programs for more than 60 days. Despite repeated warnings, FCCI allegedly delayed repayment of more than $175,000 in overpayments owed to Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare and the Department of Veterans Affairs until after being notified the DOJ had opened an investigation.
"When FCCI learned that it had received over $175,000 in potential overpayments to federal healthcare programs in 2016, it had a legal obligation to return those funds within 60 days," said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow. "Instead, they delayed repayment, ultimately retaining thousands of dollars to which they were not entitled."
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