United States of America v. HealthcareOne Critical Care Transport Service, Inc.

East St. Louis, Illinois criminal law lawyer represented Defendant charged with improperly billed Medicare for scheduled, non-emergency ambulance transportation.



The government alleged that MedicOne's former location in Mount Vernon, Illinois, routinely billed 

Medicare for non-emergency ambulance transports to regularly scheduled dialysis treatments when the 

services did not meet Medicare requirements. MedicOne typically picked up patients at their 

residences or nursing homes and transported the patients to and from dialysis treatment three times 

per week, sometimes for years. The government alleges many of MedicOne's non-emergency ambulance 

transports did not meet Medicare requirements for coverage because the services were not medically 

necessary, particularly when the patients safely rode in other forms of transportation – such as 

personal vehicles, medical transport cars, and wheelchair vans – to medical appointments and social 

outings.



The Medicare program paid MedicOne hundreds of dollars per round-trip ambulance transport taking 

patients to dialysis treatments. To resolve the allegations, MedicOne will pay the United States

$302,124.37 for claims submitted to Medicare between April 2016 and January 2020.



"Billing for unnecessary ambulance transports wastes taxpayer dollars and drains critical funds 

from the Medicare program,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. "Our office is committed to 

protecting the integrity of federal health care programs.”



"Health care providers that bill Medicare for medically unnecessary services improperly divert 

funds needed to care for beneficiaries while increasing the financial burden on taxpayers,” stated 

Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of 

Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to 

investigate health care schemes to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.”



"Public health insurance programs, such as Medicare, can incur significant financial loss when 

their programs are exploited. Those losses cost the government and ultimately impact every American 

– contributing to the rising cost of health care for everyone,” said Federal Bureau of 

Investigation (FBI) Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. "This settlement is a result of 

the FBI's commitment to work with our federal and state partners to ensure that federally funded 

health care programs are not abused by providers.”



This matter was investigated by HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Illinois tate Police Medicaid Fraud

Control Unit in response to a hotline complaint submitted to HHS-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura 

Barke prosecuted the case.

Anyone who suspects health care fraud, waste, or abuse is encouraged to report it by calling 1-800- 

HHS-TIPS or visiting https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/.



The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of

liability.

Defendant agreed to pay $302,124.37 to settle the claims made against it.