An 11-count indictment made by federal authorities in San Antonio, TX, charges a former Kindred at Home employee and a medical marketing business owner with one count of conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback law.
The business owner also is charged with four counts of soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks, one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and five counts of healthcare fraud and aiding and abetting healthcare fraud.
According to the indictment, former Kindred at Home employee Amber Price created fraudulent prescriptions, which were submitted for payment to federal healthcare benefit programs including Medicare, Medicaid and other private insurance companies.
A Kindred at Home spokesperson said the company believes the allegations do not involve the company or its patients.
“In August 2019, we learned that the FBI was investigating allegations about Amber Price and the work she was doing while moonlighting for a pharmacy. As a result, Kindred at Home terminated Ms. Price and cooperated with the FBI’s investigation,” the spokesperson said.
The indictment also alleges that Price and Christopher Cruz, owner of a medical marketing business, solicited and received monies from various pharmacies and laboratories to increase their volume of signed prescriptions, lab analysis and other billable procedures.
Charges of conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback law and soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks call for up to five years in federal prison upon conviction. Charges related to healthcare fraud call for up to 10 years in federal prison upon conviction.
