San Diego, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/25/2017 -- The Whistleblower Institute announces that Navicent Health Inc reached a $2.5 million settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former employee over violating the False Claims Act and billing Medicare and Medicaid for ambulance trips that were overpriced or not medically necessary.

Those who have a similar case or experienced a similar situation or any other wrongdoing within a corporation have certain options and should contact the Whistleblower Institute at mail@whistleblowerinstitute.com or call: 619-452–1218. There are no costs or obligations to you.

A settlement has been reached to resolve False Claims Act allegations against Navicent Health Inc.

The allegations arose from a lawsuit that claimed Navicent Health violated the False Claims Act and billed Medicare and Medicaid for ambulance trips that were overpriced or not medically necessary.

According to the United States, Navicent Health allegedly upcoded non-emergency hospital-to-hospital ambulance transports as emergency transports in claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid; upcoded non-emergency ambulance transports from the hospital to patients' residences, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, hospital-based diagnostic clinic, or dialysis clinics as emergency transports; and, submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary ambulance transports of patients from the hospital to patients' residences, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, hospital-based diagnostic clinic, or dialysis clinics.

Reportedly, Navicent Health underwent a 27-month investigation into its billing practices before the United States government decided to intervene.

"Since Navient owned and operated both the hospital and ambulances, profits from the systemic, deceptive practice of falsifying 'emergency' trips would fatten the hospital's bottom line." stated Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Whistleblower, a former Navicent paramedic, Andre Valentine, will receive a share of the settlement payment, as will the federal government and the state. Mr. Valentine, claimed in his 2015 lawsuit, that he was wrongfully terminated in 2014 after he questioned the hospital's ambulance billing practices.

Located in Macon, Georgia, Navicent Health owns and operates the second largest hospital in Georgia. Navicent oversees the Medical Center, including its emergency medical services, and is a participating provider of Medicare and Medicaid services.

The Whistleblower Institute is an information portal for current or former employees and other people having insight information about wrongdoing and other illegal activities by individuals either individually or within corporations, through company culture and or within international affairs. Whistleblowers should keep in mind that under the Dodd-Frank Act any person who provides the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") with original information that leads to a successful enforcement action with over $1 million recovered must be awarded between 10%-30% of the total amount recovered. In order to determine the total amount of the reward there are numerous factors that need to be considered. Whistleblower actions are complex and our goal is to guide any whistleblower every step of the way. The Whistleblower Institute is dedicated to partnering with any individual who have information about fraud and we work with many of the best law firms worldwide.

Those who have a similar case or experienced a similar situation or any other wrongdoing within a corporation have certain options and should contact the Whistleblower Institute.

Contact:
Whistleblower Institute
2534 State Street - Suite 406
San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Phone: +1 (619) 452–1218
Facsimile: +1 (619) 785 – 3185
Email: mail@whistleblowerinstitute.com

The material was prepared by the Whistleblower Institute for informational purposes only and is not legal or financial advice. The information is provided only as general information which may or may not reflect the most currently available public information, is not provided as a basis for any established or existing relationship, and is not intended to constitute legal or financial advice, or to substitute for obtaining such advice from an attorney or other advisor licensed in your state.