Oasis Acupuncture LLC and its owner, Dr. Hui-Li Yuan, have agreed on Mar. 5 to pay $100,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting inflated claims for acupuncture services to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration.
The settlement is significant because it addresses concerns about proper billing practices within health care programs serving veterans. Authorities say that ensuring compliance helps protect public funds and maintains trust in veteran care services.
According to the settlement agreement, Oasis Acupuncture and Dr. Yuan billed the VA for acupuncture needle reinsertion services that were inflated and did not meet the minimum time requirements of 15 minutes per needle reinsertion. This resulted in overpayments by the VA for these claims.
"Protecting our veterans and their care is paramount," U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida said. "This civil settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure compliance and proper billing by all providers." Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office said, "This settlement demonstrates the VA OIG’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the integrity of claims submitted to VA healthcare programs." Spilker also commended the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its efforts during this investigation.
The case was investigated through a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, led by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor.
Officials emphasize that combating health care fraud remains a priority, with tools like the False Claims Act playing an important role in these efforts. The government encourages anyone with information about potential fraud or abuse involving VA programs to contact its hotline at 1-800-488-8244.
Authorities clarified that while this matter has been settled civilly, "the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination or admission of liability."
