Source: Office of United States Attorneys
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ARMAND NTCHANA and his various entities have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and agreed to pay more than $600,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid. Ntchana currently resides in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Ntchana, who is licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Connecticut, is the principal member and owner of INTEGRATED PROCARE SERVICES, LLC (“IPS”), a psychiatric medication management practice located in Wethersfield. He is also the principal member and owner of BROOKSIDE RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Brookside”) and 134 FRANKLIN STREET EXTENSION, LLC (“Brookside Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in Danbury, and the principal member and owner of RIVERVIEW RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Riverview”) and 92 LEXINGTON AVENUE, LLC (“Riverview Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in New Haven. Ntchana ceased control of the operations of Brookside and Riverview in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and sold the Brookside Property and the Riverview Property in August 2023.
The federal and state governments allege that from January 2016 through October 2020, Ntchana and IPS violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by improperly billing Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid for services not rendered, the services of an unlicensed provider, and for upcoded or duplicative claims.
Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, those services were not actually provided. This included claims billed by Ntchana for impossible numbers of hours per day; when Ntchana was not physically present, including when he was out of the country, on vacation, or not in the office; for patients who were hospitalized or deceased; and for having a staff member call in a medication refill without Ntchana’s interacting directly with the patient or the patient’s medical record. Ntchana and IPS created false medical records or had no medical records for such visits.
In addition, Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, the patients were seen by an individual with no qualified health professional license or medical qualifications. Ntchana and IPS also caused false claims to be submitted for both evaluation and management visits and psychotherapy during the same visit when, in fact, Ntchana had only provided evaluation and management services during that visit.
To resolve their liability, Ntchana and his related entities agreed to pay $614,427.51, plus interest, which was based on their ability to pay. Ntchana and IPS have also entered into a Suspension Agreement and Consent Order with the Connecticut Department of Social Services (“DSS”) to be suspended from participating in all programs administered by DSS for two years, and to not reapply for reinstatement in Connecticut Medicaid or any state-funded program thereafter.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber, and by Assistant Attorney General Rick Porter of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
The allegations resolved by today’s settlement stem from an investigation based on a critical analysis of Medicare claims data. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.