Medicare Fraud Defendants to Pay Fees Higher Than Settlement

A Florida medical office, Humana, and a doctor who reached a settlement over false claims allegations may have to pay over $4 million to cover the whistleblower’s attorneys’ fees and costs, an amount higher than the settlement they reached.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis on May 23 recommended the defendants pay over $3.2 million in attorneys’ fees and over $800,000 in costs to cover the expenses of whistleblower Olivia Graves. Graves, a medical doctor who sold her practice to Dr. Michael Cavanaugh, brought a whistleblower suit against Cavanaugh, Plaza Medical Centers, and Humana, alleging the three engaged in a scheme ...