United States Of America Et Al V. Healthcare Associates Of Texas Llc Et Al

Case Background

On October 21, 20119, Plaintiff United States of America, ex rel. and Cheryl Taylor filed a Medicare fraud lawsuit lawsuit in the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division (Case number: 3:19cv2486). Judge Judge David C Godbey presided over this case.

Cause

In a groundbreaking legal action, a former senior executive, Cheryl Taylor brought a comprehensive False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit against Healthcare Associates of Texas (HCAT), alleging systematic Medicare fraud that defrauded the United States government of millions of dollars. The lawsuit exposed several sophisticated schemes designed to manipulate Medicare reimbursement processes and perpetrate healthcare billing fraud.

Organizational Background

Healthcare Associates of Texas operated as a primary care group practice serving patients across North Texas. The organization submitted between $18 million to $20 million in Medicare claims annually, positioning itself as a significant healthcare provider with over 40 primary care providers at six locations. The founding physicians, including Doctors Powell, Deems, Gaman, Feehery, and Baird, maintained critical operational roles within the organization.

Key Fraudulent Practices

The lawsuit detailed four primary modes of fraudulent Medicare billing practices:

Non-Credentialed Provider Billing

HCAT allowed and encouraged medical service providers to submit billing records that misrepresented the actual providers of medical services. The organization knowingly submitted claims for services performed by improperly credentialed providers, fully aware that Medicare would not reimburse such services. This practice enabled HCAT to illegally obtain millions in taxpayer-funded reimbursements by concealing the true identities of service provi