Oasis Acupuncture LLC and its owner, Dr. Hui-Li Yuan, have agreed on Mar. 5 to pay $100,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting inflated claims for acupuncture services to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.
The case centers on the importance of ensuring proper billing practices for healthcare services provided to veterans. The government alleged that Oasis Acupuncture and Dr. Yuan billed the VA for acupuncture needle reinsertion services that were inflated and did not meet the minimum time requirements of 15 minutes per needle reinsertion, leading to overpayments by the VA.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida said, “Protecting our veterans and their care is paramount. This civil settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure compliance and proper billing by all providers.”
Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office also commented on the resolution: “This settlement demonstrates the VA OIG’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the integrity of claims submitted to VA healthcare programs. The VA OIG commends the US Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this investigation.”
The investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor as part of a coordinated effort between federal agencies including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
Officials note that combating health care fraud remains a priority through tools such as the False Claims Act, which allows tips about potential fraud or abuse involving government programs to be reported via a dedicated hotline at 1-800-488-8244.
According to authorities, “the claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination or admission of liability.”
