Doctor accuses healthcare company of overbilling patients

Allegations of Fraudulent Billing Practices - Former employee accuses Florida Women Care (FWC) of upcoding, a fraudulent billing practice involving charging for higher-level services than rendered [1][2] - The upcoding allegedly involved billing patients as if they were seen by a doctor when the delivery was provided by a certified nurse midwife [4] - The former employee estimates FWC received tens of millions of dollars it did not earn through upcoding [6] Scope and Impact of Alleged Upcoding - The alleged upcoding impacted both Medicaid and private insurance patients [5] - The practice is claimed to drive up insurance premiums, making healthcare more expensive for everyone [5] - The former employee identified over 150 patients with upcoded visits at Florida Woman Care [6] - Unified Women's Healthcare, which includes FWC, is responsible for nearly 1 in 21 births in the United States [2] Investigation and Response - The Florida Attorney General's office has an active investigation into Florida Women Care [7] - FWC denies the allegations and states it maintains rigorous compliance programs, including regular independent audits and mandatory compliance training [7] - In 2018, the DOJ investigated FWC for improper billing, resulting in a $1.7 million payment to the US government, without determination of liability [8]