Government Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Vohra Wound Physicians Management and Its Owner

On April 4, the government announced it filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Vohra Wound Physicians Management LLC (Vohra), its entities, and its founder Dr. Ameet Vohra. Among other violations, the government alleged the company submitted false claims to Medicare for upcoded and medically unnecessary wound care services.

Vohra, one of the country’s largest wound care providers, has contracts with hundreds of nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities, offering bedside wound care services to patients.

Vohra and Dr. Vohra engaged in upcoding by using billing codes for more complex procedures than what was performed. The company knowingly and falsely billed routine wound care or non-surgical debridements as surgical procedures even when they were not. Vohra hired physicians who lacked wound care experience, and they did not properly train their staff about requirements such as Medicare payment rules and the definitions of surgical vs. nonsurgical procedures.

U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida stated: “When providers seek to misappropriate public funds for private gain, we will work with our partners to pursue those responsible.”

Although whistleblowers were not mentioned in this case, they play an important role in identifying and reporting healthcare fraud. Under the qui tam provision (or whistleblower provision) of the False Claims Act, private parties can file lawsuits on behalf of the United States against those who defraud the government. Eligible whistleblowers, called “relators,” can receive up to 30% of any funds recovered by the government.

Constantine Cannon whistleblower partner Marlene Koury commented: “Holding health care providers accountable for misconduct protects taxpayer dollars and safeguards the trust and well-being of individuals who rely on federally funded programs like Medicare.”

Healthcare Fraud

Healthcare fraud is ongoing. It is more important than ever to recognize fraud and blow the whistle on misconduct like taking kickback payments for services or patient referrals, billing for medically unnecessary services, upcoding, making false statements about covered services, and more.

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Constantine Cannon has over 15 years of experience representing healthcare fraud whistleblowers. Please contact us if you believe you have a case. We will connect you with an experienced member of the Constantine Cannon whistleblower team for a free and confidential consultation.