United States Intervenes in False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Colorado Medical Companies for Scheme to Inflate Medicare, TRICARE Billings

The United States has intervened in a False Claims Act whistleblower lawsuit against three Colorado healthcare companies and two individuals, alleging they submitted tens of thousands of inflated claims to Medicare and TRICARE over nearly a decade. The government’s complaint names Front Range Urgent Care, Comfort Care Family Practice, QwikCareMD, Anita Weiscamp, and Dr. Steven L. Wenrich as defendants in the scheme.

According to the complaint, the defendants knowingly submitted claims using Dr. Wenrich’s physician provider number when he did not provide or supervise any of the services for which the claims were submitted. In reality, the services were performed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants.

Because Medicare and TRICARE pay significantly more for physician-provided services than for services rendered by other practitioners, the scheme allegedly caused the federal government to overpay by millions of dollars. The false claims targeted Medicare Part B and TRICARE, which provide health benefits to seniors, military personnel, retirees, and their dependents. The case was initiated by former QwikCare employees under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, and the whistleblowers are entitled to a share of any funds recovered.

The government can recover up to three times its damages plus civil penalties. This case reflects the government’s sustained commitment to protecting federal healthcare programs from fraud and holding accountable those who deliberately misrepresent services to obtain higher reimbursements. The claims are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.