A Medical Device Daily

The owner of three Westborough, Massachusetts-based healthcare companies pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston Friday to health care fraud involving overbilling for home health equipment.

Prosecutors told the court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have shown that the defendant, James Taylor, and the companies of which he was the principal owner and officer billed Medicare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts for respiratory home care equipment that was never delivered, or which was more expensive than what was actually delivered.

The companies involved were Vejay Oxygen, West Suburban Medical Rental,and Westborough Home Health.

Taylor and the companies defrauded Medicare and Massachusetts Blue Cross/Blue Shield of nearly $1 million from 1993-2003, according to prosecutors. Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000; the companies each face fines equal to and possibly more than the amount of the loss to Medicare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

The investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Wellbound opens 7th dialysis facility

WellBound (Mountain View, California) has opened its seventh self-care dialysis facility in Milpitas, California, to support nephrologists in providing kidney disease patients with education and self-care dialysis therapies. Self-care dialysis refers to dialysis therapies that patients can self-administer outside the confines of hemodialysis centers, including peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis.

WellBound said a growing collection of clinical research demonstrates that more frequent, more consistent dialysis associated with self-care provides patients with improved health outcomes. Home dialysis also offers significant quality of life advantages including greater convenience, more flexible schedules, and fewer fluid and dietary restrictions.

WellBound's facilities provide:

  • Early education programs addressing kidney transplantation, dialysis therapy options, and vascular access planning.
  • Patient wellness programs focused on high blood pressure, stress management, exercise, nutrition and diabetes care.
  • Training programs for all forms of self-care dialysis.