Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 Mass Eye and Ear agrees to pay over $2.6M to resolve False Claims Act allegations M assachusetts Eye and Ear Infi rmary, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Associates, Inc. and the Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infi rmary, Inc. (“Massachusetts Eye and Ear”) have agreed to pay $2.678 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. Massachusetts Eye and Ear provides inpatient and outpatient services to patients with a range of ailments involving the eye, ear, nose and throat. Over an eight-year period, Massachusetts Eye and Ear improperly billed federal health care programs for certain offi ce visits, defrauding the United States of more than a million dollars. “When health care providers submit improper claims to Medicare and Medicaid, they do two bad things: they unjustly enrich themselves, and they drain money needed for legitimate patient care,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Nathaniel Mendell. “This settlement punishes bad billing and helps safeguard government health care programs from fraud, waste and abuse.” “Our federal healthcare system relies on the basic premise that providers abide by the rules and bill properly, and the American taxpayers who fund the Medicare and Medicaid programs deserve nothing less,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip Coyne of the Offi ce of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our continued and unwavering commitment to rooting out false claims that threaten the integrity of our healthcare system.” “Mass Eye and Ear received more than a million dollars from fraudulently billing federal healthcare programs over the course of eight years, undermining the integrity of our healthcare system, and increasing the fi nancial burden on hard-working taxpayers,” said Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “We would like to thank the patient who had the courage to come forward with allegations of illegal conduct, and we’d like to encourage others to do the same because standing up for what’s right and safeguarding taxpayer dollars is critical, given that every year, the submission of false claims to the government costs taxpayers billions.” Between Jan. 1, 2012, and Feb. 1, 2020, Massachusetts Eye and Ear regularly submitted claims to Medicare and MassHealth (Massachusetts’s Medicaid program) for office visits at which physicians performed certain medical procedures, specifically, nasal endoscopies and laryngoscopies. Medicare and MassHealth do not permit billing for such offi ce visits in addition to billing for the procedures, except under special circumstances that were not present here. As a result of the illegal conduct, Massachusetts Eye and Ear obtained reimbursements to which it was not entitled. The False Claims Act settlement resolves allegations originally brought in a lawsuit fi led by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with the April 20, 2021, announcement of the settlement, the relator will receive 15 percent of the recovery. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. offers free Bluebikes rides to COVID-19 vaccination appointments T o boost access to COVID-19 vaccines and support transportation needs as more Massachusetts residents become eligible, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross) is sponsoring free Bluebikes rides to and from vaccination sites located within the Bluebikes system. Providing equitable access to vaccines is a critical priority for Blue Cross, which recently made a $1 million commitment toward transportation to and from vaccination sites in underserved communities across the state, in partnership with Lyft and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Residents are eligible for two complimentary Bluebikes Adventure Pass rides, which are available across Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Newton, Revere, Somerville and Watertown. Blue Cross is the title sponsor of Bluebikes, which is owned by the municipalities and operated by Lyft. Riders can take advantage of this off er by downloading and opening the Bluebikes app on a mobile device and using the vaccination codes “BLUEVAX1” and “BLUEVAX2” – providing residents who require two vaccine doses with complimentary Bluebikes trips for both appointments. Each code will unlock one free Adventure Pass and includes free unlimited two-hour rides for a 24-hour period, giving riders the fl exibility to travel to and from a vaccination site. (For more information and to find a vaccination location, please visit mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine.) In addition, complimentary bike valets will be available at Bluebikes stations nearest two mass vaccination sites, the Hynes Convention Center (Newbury Street and Hereford Street) and the Reggie Lewis Center (Roxbury Crossing), beginning April Massachusetts Public Safety Officials Ready to Assist Municipal Authorities with Large Gatherings M assachusetts public safety offi cials said this week that they are prepared to support municipal authorities should they request assistance with large-scale events in the days ahead. The Baker-Polito Administration, local and state law enforcement, and other agencies are coordinating to ensure suffi cient personnel are available to preserve public safety and protect the rights of all residents in the event of sizable gatherings related to the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. Governor Charlie Baker signed an order that will make up to 1,000 members of the Massachusetts National Guard availSAFETY | SEE Page 22 North Shore Navigators announce 2021 schedule for NECBL return LYNN – The North Shore Navigators have announced their schedule for the upcoming New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) season, which features 21 home games at historic Fraser Field. NECBL Commissioner Sean McGrath and Navs President/General Manager Derek January recently made the announcement. North Shore returns to its original summer collegiate home in the NECBL for the fi rst time since 2011. The season/home opener is set for Friday, June 4, when the Vermont Mountaineers travel down from Montpelier to Lynn for a 6:35 p.m. fi rst pitch. Home games at Fraser 26, courtesy of Blue Cross and Lyft. Bluebikes associates will off er expanded docking and bike availability to make coming and going easier. “We’re committed to supporting our communities and removing barriers to this critical vaccine, especially in underserved areas,” said Blue Cross Chief Consumer Experience/ Marketing Offi cer Kathy Klingler. “As appointments become available to the majority of Massachusetts residents beginning Monday, we encourage residents to get vaccinated and to take advantage of safe and free transportation options.” Blue Cross is in the fourth year of a six-year Bluebikes title sponsorship, which was launched in May 2018. Through its partnership with the municipal owners of Bluebikes, Blue Cross continues to support system growth and accessibility, including station expansions, upgrades and additional bikes. throughout the summer of 2021 are scheduled to begin at 6:35 p.m. on Monday through Saturday nights and 4:05 p.m. on Sundays. For the 2021 campaign, the 14 NECBL organizations will play a 42-game regular season exclusively within seven-team North and South Divisions. Slotted into the North Division, the Navs will play against Vermont, the Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats, North Adams (Mass.) SteepleCats, Sanford Mainers, Upper Valley Nighthawks (White River Junction, Vt.) and Winnipesaukee Muskrats (Laconia, N.H.). North Shore’s 21game home slate includes four Friday, three Saturday and four Sunday contests, including visits from Sanford and Winnipesaukee on Saturday, July 3 and Sunday, July 4, respectively. As part of the balanced schedule, the Navs will play four of their seven contests against North Adams, Winnipesaukee and Upper Valley at home, while Keene, Sanford and Vermont come to Lynn three times each. The 2021 NECBL All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, July 18 at Cardines Field in beautiful Newport, R.I. After that the league’s teams will play two fi nal weeks of the regular season in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 NECBL Playoff s, of which the format will be announced at a later date. The regular season is scheduled to end on Sunday, August 1, with the following day left open for makeup games. The postseason will begin on Tuesday, August 3. The Navs – a charter member of the New England League’s inaugural season dating back to 1994 – rejoin the NECBL this summer after a nine-year hiatus. The Navigators began their NECBL tenure as a charter member based out of Middletown, Conn., where they won three consecutive NECBL championships as the Middletown Giants from 1997-99. Since then, no team has repeated that feat. Following a three-year stint as the Holyoke (Mass.) Giants, the team relocated to the North Shore in 2008. The Navs qualified for the NECBL postseason in four straight seasons and won a fourth Fay Vincent Sr. Cup in 2010. Season passes, which admit two people to each Navs home game, are now on sale for $95.50. Contact Maggie Barden (maggie@nsnavs.com) for further ticket information or questions. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs. com and following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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