North Haven Business Pays $100K In False Claims Settlement: Feds

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A North Haven-based behavioral health practice has agreed to pay more than $100,000 to settle false claims allegations, according to authorities.

Neil Quatrano, and his business, Behavioral Management, LLC, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, announced on Monday.

Behavioral Management is a private behavioral health practice in North Haven that provided after school and school break programs for children with behavioral and mental health issues. Behavioral Management is enrolled as both a Behavioral Health Clinician Group and a Professional Counselor Group in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (“CMAP”), which includes the state’s Medicaid program. Quatrano has a bachelor’s degree in social work, but is not a licensed behavioral health provider in Connecticut, according to officials.

Quatrano and Behavioral Management are accused of submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid under CPT code 90876 for participants of the after-school and school-break program. CPT code 90876 requires “individual psychophysiological therapy incorporating biofeedback training by any modality (face-to-face with patient), with psychotherapy (e.g., insight oriented, behavior modifying or supported psychotherapy); 45 minutes,” officials wrote in a news release.

“Quatrano and Behavioral Management falsely represented that a licensed provider had rendered the services when, in fact, an unlicensed individual rendered the services,” the news release states. “Quatrano and Behavioral Management also falsely represented that 45 minutes of one-on-one psychotherapy services were provided when in fact 20 minutes of group services were provided. Finally, Quatrano and Behavioral Management falsely represented that the services provided included biofeedback when, in fact, they did not.”

To resolve the allegations, Quatrano and Behavioral Management LLC have agreed to pay $100,842 to reimburse the Medicaid program for conduct that occurred from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2014, according to officials.

Under the False Claims Act, the government can recover up to three times its actual damages, plus penalties of $11,665 to $23,331 for each false claim.

“Neil Quatrano and Behavioral Management allegedly submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims for therapy and services that were never provided,” Tong said in a statement. “In conjunction with our federal and state partners, the Office of the Attorney General will take strong action against anyone who misuses our state’s Medicaid program to the detriment of both taxpayers and patients.”

The case stems from a larger investigation into fraudulent activity in the area of behavioral health services, officials said.

Anyone who suspects health care fraud is encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.