A settlement has been reached to resolve False Claims Act allegations against Early Autism Project Inc.
The allegations arose from a lawsuit that claimed Early Autism Project Inc submitted false claims to the TRICARE and the South Carolina Medicaid programs for therapy services for children with autism.
According to the government, allegedly Early Autism Project Inc (EAP) billed TRICARE and South Carolina’s Medicaid program for Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy services for children with autism that either misrepresented the services provided or where the services were not provided at all. Allegedly, EAP-devised program designed to maximize profits by billing Medicaid for administrative and management functions of the company. Medicaid does not pay for therapy services by individuals who are not actively working with the child for whom the therapy is billed. In addition, allegedly EAP allowed its therapists to regularly “pad” the hours it billed for therapy services to the TRICARE program and to South Carolina Medicaid, so that these programs regularly paid for therapy services that were not provided.
“Companies that commit to providing intensive behavioral treatment to children with autism, at a pivotal time of that child’s development, should be held accountable if they do not provide the services, but nevertheless request payment for those services,” said Barbara Bowens, Acting United States Attorney for this case and Civil Chief for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the federally-funded programs that make it possible for children with special needs to receive these vital services.”
The Whistleblower, a former employee of EAP, Olivia Zeigler, will receive $435,000.
Reportedly, as part of the settlement, EAP, and its parent company, ChanceLight Inc have also entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, which seeks to ensure future corporate compliance by requiring internal compliance reforms, including hiring an independent review organization to conduct annual claims reviews.
