A Maryland-based ambulance service and an Eastern Shore health care system are facing a lawsuit over Medicare billing
Hart to Heart Transportation is accused of working with Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, MD in the suit that claims the government was bill excessive amounts for ambulance services.
The ambulance company is based in Forest Hill, MD and operates in all three counties in Delaware as well as portions of Maryland.
Peninsula, the largest hospital group on the lower Eastern Shore, has outpatient centers in Sussex County, DE.
The suit claims the ambulance service was used for patients who were not bedridden and could have been transported by less expensive methods.
The filing dates back from 2015 and is qui tam (whistleblower) lawsuit.
Both Peninsula and Hart to Heart denied the allegations, according to a story from Delmarva Now. The website stated that the suit could go to trial later this year.
The suit alleges the false claims run into the millions of dollars.
It is not known whether the lawsuit led to an investigation of Hart to Heart’s billing practices in Delaware and elsewhere.
Listed as defendants are John, Terry, and Richard Skidmore. John and Terry, residents of Harford County are listed as owners of the company. Richard is a resident of Cecil County.
Click here for a copy of the lawsuit.
