Published: May 25, 2020

THE FRANKLIN BASED, RINOVA, WELLNESS GROUP, PC HAS SETTLED FEDERAL ALLEGATIONS THAT MEDICARE OVERPAID THEM FOR CLAIMS THAT WERE NON-PAYABLE DUE TO FRAUDULENT MISREPRESENTATIONS.  ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE, RINOVA WAS ACCUSED OF MISREPRESENTING THEMSELVES BY OBTAINING NEW MEDICARE PAYMENT NUMBERS, WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY A REBRAND OF PAIN M-D, WHO MEDICARE CONTRACTORS HAD SUSPENDED ALL PAYMENTS. IN MAY RINOVA ABRUPTLY CLOSED AMID ALLEGATIONS INCLUDING IT'S OFFICES IN CLARKSVILLE, COOKEVILLE, LAWRENCEBURG AND TULLAHOMA. THE MEDICARE CONTRACTOR SUSPENDED PAYMENTS TO RINOVA IN JUNE AND REVOKED THEIR BILLING PRIVILEGES IN SEPTEMBER.  RINOVA HAS NOW CEASED ITS OPERATIONS IN TENNESSEE OR ELSEWHERE. THE SETTLEMENT RESOLVES THE GOVERNMENT’S CLAIMS THAT IT OVERPAID RINOVA FOR ALL OF ITS SERVICES. THE SETTLEMENT HAS A TOTAL VALUE OF 482,224 DOLLARS. THE MATTER WAS HANDLED BY THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE AND INVESTIGATED BY THE TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION MEDICAID FRAUD CONTROL UNIT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.