In March 2016, we covered the conviction of Dr. Venkateswara Kuchipudi for violating the federal anti-kickback statute by referring nursing home patients to Sacred Heart Hospital (in Chicago) in exchange for kickbacks. For a summary of the case, please see our post here: Nursing Home Fraud Scam Results in Conviction for King of Nursing Homes

Dr. Kuchipudi was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and nine counts of illegally soliciting or receiving benefits in return for referrals of patients covered under a federal health care program. On August 12, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois sentenced Kuchipudi to two (2) years in prison and the return of over $786,000, consisting of overpayments and fines.

According to the Court, Kuchipudi had become more focused on making money than on the best interests of his patients, and knew that his scheme to refer nursing home patients for kickbacks was “morally wrong”.

The Hospital made the following kickbacks to Kuchipudi:  (1) it covered the costs of the physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) who exclusively treated Kuchipudi’s patients, while allowing Kuchipudi to bill Medicare and Medicaid for the services of the PAs and NPs treating his patients; (2) it inappropriately paid him rent payments; and (3) it paid him bogus teaching fees.

The prosecutors sought 6 to 8 years in prison for Kuchipudi, and stressed Kuchipudi’s greed in engaging in the scheme.  In his defense, Kuchipudi offered support letters from many of his patients, testifying to his selfless nature and years of patient-centered care. However, some of the most telling evidence of Kuchipudi’s intentions was that he frequently did not know why his patients were admitted to the Hospital or even who they were.  In addition, in the sentencing memorandum, prosecutors noted that Kuchipudi pressured the Hospital to pay for his meals at an expensive steakhouse in Chicago, which a Hospital executive agreed to do expressly in exchange for Kuchipudi’s admissions.

As we noted before, this case is an example of how violations of the federal anti-kickback statute can involve kickbacks in forms other than direct payment for referrals. It also serves as a reminder to physicians to carefully review their hospital relationships and arrangements with other providers to avoid running afoul of federal and state fraud and abuse laws. We encourage you to seek legal counsel with experience in the nuances of these laws and regulations if you have any questions regarding your arrangements with providers.