True Health is facing a new whistleblower retaliation lawsuitfiled by a doctor alleging that he and his colleagues were fired for refusing to participate in the company’s healthcare fraud scheme.

This whistleblower retaliation was filed by a doctor from Florida, who alleges True Health had intended to violate state and federal healthcare laws by trying to make him and at least two other doctors sign a paper that stated they performed a service when they did not.

Plaintiff Dr. George C. filed the whistleblower retaliation lawsuit says that he and his colleagues, Dr. Anthony P., and Dr. David T., were asked to sign off on some unread ultrasound reports. The plaintiff says that they were fired for refusing to sign.

According to the whistleblower retaliation lawsuit, the doctors all worked as gynecologists, obstetricians, and prenatal care for True Health between April 2015 to November 2015.

True Health is a healthcare corporation in Florida, which is supposed to provide quality medical and dental care for low income families, underinsured, uninsured, Medicare, and Medicaid patient populations of Seminole and Orange County.

Services offered at True Health include gynecological health services. Some of this work includes provided diagnostic ultrasounds for expectant mothers or other patients needing to undergo medical diagnostic imaging, which is supposed to be performed by healthcare professionals like the doctors, according to the lawsuit.

However, George alleges True Health allegedly tried to have the plaintiff and his colleagues sign paperwork that stated they had reviewed certain ultrasounds when they had not.

Overview of Whistleblower Retaliation Lawsuit

Under Florida Medicaid law, obstetrical ultrasounds require direct supervision by the treating healthcare provider. The ultrasounds in question were allegedly not performed under the supervision of the plaintiff or other medical professional. True Health had only wanted them to sign off so they could receive Medicaid compensation, alleges the lawsuit.

According to the whistleblower retaliation lawsuit, True Health had provided detailed anatomical ultrasounds for a number of women that were not reviewed and signed by radiologists or maternal fetal maternal specialists between June 26, 2015 to Aug. 31, 2015.

True Health prepares medical reports from these ultrasounds, including diagnostic results and a Medical Record Number (MRN), by systemic documentation of the patient’s medical history and care. In order for Medicaid to compensate for these ultrasounds, they must be signed by a radiologist or maternal fetal medicine specialist.

Instead, alleges the lawsuit, these ultrasound reports were allegedly signed by either midwives or ultrasound technicians, with the head of nursing allegedly asking Anthony to sign off on one of the reports.

According to the whistleblower retaliation lawsuit, True Health’s Director of Nursing had sent an email to Anthony on Sept. 3, 2015 that had asked him to electronically to “re-sign” certain unread ultrasound reports.

True Health then allegedly printed out the unread reports without the signatures of the midwives and ultrasound technicians, with True Health officials also asking George and David to also sign. All doctors refused to sign the reports on Sept. 15, 2015, and were allegedly fired soon after on Nov. 15, 2015.

George filed this whistleblower retaliation lawsuit seeking damages for wrongful termination, alleging True Health had violated the False Claims Act by firing them just for allegedly refusing to participate in the company’s alleged Medicaid fraud.

This Whistleblower Retaliation Lawsuit is Case 6:18-cv-01526-GAP-KRS, in the U.S. District Court of the Middle District Court of Florida, Orlando Division.