United States v. Community Home

FACTS

Relator Jody Shutt originated this FCA action against Nida Campanilla (“Campanilla”), the sole owner and president of Community Home and Health Care Services (“Community Home”), an agency that provided nursing and home health services and received at least $2.77 million in Medicare reim- bursements from May 2003 to August 2004.

Subsequently, the United States pursued criminal charges against Campanilla who entered a guilty plea to one count of health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347. In the agreement, she stipulated to making illegal payments to phy- sicians, patients, and marketers, forging physician signatures on Medicare forms documenting the medical necessity of claimed services, submitting reimbursement claims to Medi- care for home health services she knew were not medically necessary, and submitting reimbursement claims for services that were not performed as represented. Campanilla also admitted that the scheme had caused Medicare a loss of at least $608,558.49 and agreed to make full restitution of that amount.

Several months later, the United States intervened in this FCA suit against Campanilla and Community Home, raising both FCA claims and…