Pitts Therapies, LLC, doing business as Cornerstone Pediatric Therapies in Clarksville, Tennessee, has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by improperly billing TRICARE for pediatric therapy services. United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee announced the settlement on April 28.
The settlement addresses concerns about protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring integrity in government health programs. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee enforces federal laws to represent the United States and improve quality of life, according to its official website.
According to federal authorities, Cornerstone allegedly submitted false claims by billing TRICARE for two units per day per beneficiary when only one was allowed from 2020 through October 2022. The clinic also allegedly billed two different codes for certain services when only one code was payable from 2020 through mid-2025—a practice known as "unbundling." Boucek said, "Our office will always seek to protect taxpayer dollars from false claims. This resolution means that the taxpayers will get their money back and sends a message that these kinds of false claims will not be tolerated in our community."
TRICARE is a government health program serving more than 9.6 million uniformed service members, retirees, and their families. Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service said: "Holding fraudulent providers accountable is essential to safeguarding TRICARE, our military’s primary health care program... This settlement reinforces a clear standard that those who seek to exploit our health systems and beneficiaries will be investigated and pursued." The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is part of the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website. It covers 32 counties in middle Tennessee according to its official website, prosecutes federal criminal cases and manages civil litigation according to its official website, and collaborates with law enforcement agencies across these counties according to its official website.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Army Criminal Investigative Division alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Bowden McIntyre representing the United States.
