Tumwater, WA – The owner of a Vancouver chiropractic clinic has repaid the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) nearly $90,000 resulting from fraudulent billing.
Clinic owner Dr. Lucas Homer recently paid the full restitution amount of $88,846 to settle a case involving improper billing practices.
In addition, his business Cascade Park Sports Medicine and Rehab PLLC, pleaded guilty in Thurston County District Court to one count of attempted second-degree theft. The court ordered the corporation to pay a $453 fine and court costs of $47.
Homer’s clinic contracted with L&I to provide therapeutic massages, physical therapy and chiropractic services to injured workers receiving workers’ compensation benefits.
In court documents filed by the Washington Attorney General’s office, an L&I investigation determined the clinic improperly billed the department for hundreds of appointments from March 1, 2009, to Sept. 15, 2011.
In some cases, the clinic claimed it provided services on a day other than the actual appointment. In other cases, the clinic provided massage or physical therapy by an uncertified employee, but submitted bills using the provider numbers of certified massage and physical therapists.
“We are thrilled restitution has been paid in full so that we can quickly return the dollars to the workers’ compensation fund,” said Annette Taylor, head of L&I investigations and the provider fraud unit.
“We monitor providers to make sure they are billing correctly, seeing patients and giving patients the medical care they need to return to work,” Taylor said. “When providers don’t do that, we catch them.”
Source: WA L&I