Lincare Holdings Inc.: Difference between revisions
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==Consumer-impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
* Market Control: a majority of Lincare's revenue comes from Medicare; that, combined with their large market share in the industry, fosters concerns that they are "too big to ban".<ref name=":0" /> | |||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
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This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | ||
===Lincare admits to Medicare fraud ('' | |||
Lincare continued to bill patients for home respiratory and oxygen equipment after equipment was paid off.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/lincare-holdings-agrees-pay-29-million-resolve-claims-overbilling-medicare-oxygen|title=Lincare Holdings Agrees to Pay $29 Million to Resolve Claims of Overbilling Medicare for Oxygen Equipment in Largest-Ever Health Care Fraud Settlement in Eastern Washington|date=2023-08-28|work=United States Attorney's Office|access-date=2025-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713024221/https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/lincare-holdings-agrees-pay-29-million-resolve-claims-overbilling-medicare-oxygen|archive-date=2025-07-13|url-status=live}}</ref> | === Lincare violates anti-kickback laws and enters largest ever Civil Monetary Penalty Settlement (May 15, 2006) === | ||
"OIG alleged that Lincare engaged in a nationwide scheme to pay physicians kickbacks to refer their patients to Lincare. Lincare gave referring physicians items such as sporting and entertainment tickets, gift certificates, rounds of golf, golf equipment, fishing trips, meals, advertising expenses, office equipment, and medical equipment. The illegal kickbacks also came disguised as payments pursuant to purported consulting agreements, such as Medical Director Agreements. OIG also alleged that Lincare violated the Self-Referral Law by accepting referrals from parties to the illegal consulting agreements."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-05-16 |title=OIG Settles Largest Ever Civil Monetary Penalty Case |url=https://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/news-releases-articles/oig-settles-largest-ever-civil-monetary-penalty-case/#:~:text=(Lincare).,%2Dyear%20company%2Dwide%20CIA. |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General}}</ref> Lincare was placed on one of its four 5-year probationary Corporate Integrity Agreements with HHS. | |||
=== Lincare admits to Medicare fraud - ''United States ex rel. Montgomery et al. v. Lincare Holdings, Inc., 2:21-cv-151'' (''May 3, 2021'') === | |||
A ''qui tam'' complaint was filed against Lincare by previous employees turned whistleblowers on May 3, 2021. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-28 |title=Fully Executed Settlement Agreement |url=https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-08/5._lincare_final_fully_executed_settlement_agreement.pdf |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=Justice.gov}}</ref> Lincare continued to bill patients for home respiratory and oxygen equipment after equipment was paid off, among other forms of Medicare fraud.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/lincare-holdings-agrees-pay-29-million-resolve-claims-overbilling-medicare-oxygen|title=Lincare Holdings Agrees to Pay $29 Million to Resolve Claims of Overbilling Medicare for Oxygen Equipment in Largest-Ever Health Care Fraud Settlement in Eastern Washington|date=2023-08-28|work=United States Attorney's Office|access-date=2025-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713024221/https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/lincare-holdings-agrees-pay-29-million-resolve-claims-overbilling-medicare-oxygen|archive-date=2025-07-13|url-status=live}}</ref> The settlement was announced August 28, 2023. Lincare was placed on another 5-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS. | |||
===Lincare negligence leads to the death of 27 year old man with Sleep Apnea (''July 2, 2025'')=== | ===Lincare negligence leads to the death of 27 year old man with Sleep Apnea (''July 2, 2025'')=== | ||
Lincare involved in the death of 27 year old man with Down Syndrome, announced a $50 million wrongful death settlement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/lincare-wrongful-death-lawsuit-sleep-apnea-oxygen|title=How Lincare Became a Multibillion-Dollar Medicare Scofflaw|first=Peter|last=Elkind|date=2024-11-13|work=Propublica|access-date=2025-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250714225305/https://www.propublica.org/article/lincare-medicare-lawsuit-settlements-oxygen-equipment|archive-date=2025-07-14|url-status=live}}</ref> | Lincare involved in the death of 27 year old man with Down Syndrome, announced a $50 million wrongful death settlement.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/lincare-wrongful-death-lawsuit-sleep-apnea-oxygen|title=How Lincare Became a Multibillion-Dollar Medicare Scofflaw|first=Peter|last=Elkind|date=2024-11-13|work=Propublica|access-date=2025-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250714225305/https://www.propublica.org/article/lincare-medicare-lawsuit-settlements-oxygen-equipment|archive-date=2025-07-14|url-status=live}}</ref> A center manager for Lincare testified in court that she did not understand the definition of "negligence". <ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-12 |title=Exhibit J |url=https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Exhibit%20J.PDF?courtCode=22&di=14853777 |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=courts.mo.gov}}</ref> | ||
==Products== | ==Products== | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[Preferred Home Care]] - acquired by Lincare in March 2019, has been in | *[[Preferred Home Care]] - acquired by Lincare in March 2019, has also been under investigation in Arizona.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.azfamily.com/2022/12/16/medical-device-delays-many-outside-valley-wait-months-their-equipment/|title=Casa Grande patients wait months for prescribed assistive devices|first=Amy|last=Cutler|work=AZ Family|date=2022-12-15|access-date=2025-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204163904/https://www.azfamily.com/2022/12/16/medical-device-delays-many-outside-valley-wait-months-their-equipment/|archive-date=2023-12-04|url-status=live}}</ref> This also impacts people with disabilities, who rely on Preferred Homecare to service and repair motorized and manual wheelchairs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.azfamily.com/2024/04/03/valley-families-face-oxygen-delivery-delays-health-crisis/|title=Valley families face oxygen delivery delays in ‘health crisis’|first=Susan|last=Campbell|date=2024-04-03|work=AZ Family|access-date=2025-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250723012530/https://www.azfamily.com/2024/04/03/valley-families-face-oxygen-delivery-delays-health-crisis/|archive-date=2025-07-23|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||