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$1.65M Settles Whistleblower Case

The owners of A Plus Home Health Care in Fort Lauderdale have agreed to pay $1.65 million to the federal government to settle a whistleblower lawsuit, according to the Miami Herald. The suit alleged that the owners gave kickbacks to physicians' spouses for referrals of Medicare patients, according to the Herald.

Meanwhile, a settlement was reached in a separate whistleblower lawsuit involving the Sleep Medicine Center in Palatka, according to the Florida Times-Union. A former employee alleged that the Sleep Medicine Center billed Medicaid and Medicare for services that were unnecessary or never performed. The clinic agreed to pay about $200,000, while a physician involved with the clinic agreed to pay an additional $100,000, according to the Times-Union. 

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.