Bifurcation

Last week, a federal court reaffirmed its decision to hold an upcoming False Claims Act (“FCA”) trial in two parts, in what is the known instance of a court bifurcating the liability phase of a FCA trial.

The case, United States v. AseraCare, Inc., Civ. Action No. 2:12-CV-245-KOB (N.D. Alabama), concerns the alleged submission of false claims to Medicare for hospice benefits. The defendant, AseraCare, is a for-profit national chain of hospice providers. Like other similar organizations, AseraCare receives a significant amount of Medicare funds on behalf of individuals eligible to receive Medicare benefits. To be eligible for hospice care paid by Medicare, an individual must be certified by a physician as “terminally ill,” meaning that the individual has a life expectancy of six months or less. The Government alleges that AseraCare hid information from physicians in order to secure certifications of hospice eligibility for patients who were not terminally ill, making the claims the company submitted for Medicare reimbursement false. The Government also alleges that AseraCare had a general pattern and practice of obtaining false certifications, motivated by an interest in obtaining Medicare funds and more revenue. 
Continue Reading Judge Rejects Government’s Objections and Orders 1st Bifurcated FCA Trial of Its Kind