Aleca Home Health self-disclosed and settled for $94,574.07 for billing for home health services provided by three nurses working without valid nursing licenses; penalty calculated as full salary and benefits paid during unlicensed period.

Aleca Home Health (Washington State) — Three Unlicensed Nurses

Outcome: Self-disclosed and settled for $94,574.07 for submitting home health claims for services provided by three nurses who lacked valid nursing licenses; single damages calculated as full salary and benefits during the unlicensed period for each nurse.

Encore Home Health, LLC, doing business as Aleca Home Health in Washington State, self-reported to HHS-OIG that it had submitted billing claims for home health services rendered by three nurses who were working without valid nursing licenses at the time of service. Having three unlicensed nurses simultaneously suggests a systemic credentialing monitoring failure rather than an isolated case.

OIG calculated damages as the full salary and benefits paid to each nurse during the period they worked without a valid license — a standard self-disclosure methodology yielding single (rather than treble) damages as a credit for voluntary reporting.

The $94,574.07 settlement was recorded June 3, 2024.

Primary Source: Aleca Home Health Agreed to Pay $94,000 for Allegedly Violating the Civil Monetary Penalties Law by Submitting Claims for Services Provided by Unlicensed Individuals