Yet Acadia has not made any purchases in the last two years, and they have begun to champion joint venture de novo projects like the one with St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, for example. CRC Health had been accused of collecting blood and urine samples at drug treatment centers in a number of West Virginia towns, which it then sent for screening to San Diego Reference Laboratory. Penn has found a passion in his ability to expeditiously investigate companies as well as piecing together how they all contribute or are affected by multi-faceted macro trends. They are up more than 20 percent so far this year. As of June 30, 2021, Acadia operated a network of 229 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 10,100 beds in 40 states and Puerto Rico. I am proud of DHHRs Medicaid Fraud Control Unit under the leadership of Director Michael Malone and its work with the United States Attorneys Office Southern District in combatting healthcare fraud and the opioid crisis and as a member of the innovative ARREST Task Force.. The company cannot continue to acquire and grow successfully when many departments are understaffed and employees are suffering/completely maxed out on what they can do. That's because the West Virginia centers billed West Virginia Medicaid for the urine and blood testing performed by SDRL, the San Diego reference lab, and another lab, the CRC-owned 10th street lab, as though it had been performed by the West Virginia Centers. All Rights Reserved, 6616 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028323-467-4242 / 800-869-2247, Psychiatrists/Physicians admitDisorders are not a Disease, Alternatives to Psychiatric Drugs for Children. $8.5 million in Medicaid fraud means $8.5 million in fraud to the taxpayers. Prosecutors say that treatment centers frequently illegally waive co-pays and deductibles, telling patients and parents that insurance will cover everything. There has been speculation of a private equity buyout of the company; however, this has not been verified. A major investor-owned mental health and addiction treatment company will pay the federal government $17 million to settle allegations it defrauded Medicaid in West Virginia. In a June 20, 2018, Glassdoor online review entitled "Used to Be Better, Now It's Just About Acquiring as Much as Possible," one employee in the corporate office wrote the following: People you work with; Corporate office is in a nice area. Absent sufficient regulation, the industry saw nearly every publicly-listed behavioral healthcare providers stock soar from 2012-2015, as seen below: Stock Price for ACHC (Time Range: Initial Public Offering - 11/13/18). Two lawsuits have been filed against the facility this year. Acadia Healthcare operates 10,200 beds spanning 230 facilities in 41 American states and territories. Acadia Healthcare Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results 16). He has come to enjoy and find a passion for learning and writing about various verticles including energy and transportation.Penn is a proud graduate of Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana. Medicaid, induced by the claims submitted by Acadias treatment centers, paid the treatment centers a substantially higher amount than the San Diego Lab charged to actually perform the testing. Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. provides behavioral healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. Ever, and presently chairs the Illinois State Police Merit Board, Patient was a minor at the time of the intimacies, Patient had experienced incest or other child sex abuse, Patient had experienced rape prior to intimacies with therapist, Patient required hospitalization considered to be at least partially a result of the intimacies, Patient achieved complete recovery from any harmful effects of intimacies, Patient filed formal (e.g., licensing, malpractice) complaint. Acadia Healthcare Co (NASDAQ:ACHC) has observed the following analyst ratings within the last quarter: According to 5 analyst offering 12-month price targets in the last 3 months, Acadia. According to The Capitol Forum, All Joint Commission reports on Oasis that were included in the documents found the facility to be in compliance with state regulations. Yet each Joint Commission report stated that no onsite survey was conducted.[4], In 2017, Senator Charles Grassley criticized the Joint Commission over it designating a Universal Health Services (UHS) behavioral facility, Shadow Mountain in Oklahoma, with a Gold Seal of Approval when there were serious allegations of patient abuse and sexual misconduct against it. We will continue working with the U.S. Attorney and other law enforcement partners to protect government health programs, taxpayers, and importantly people who depend on these funds for vitally needed treatment., The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, through its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, continues to protect the integrity of healthcare programs and the citizens of West Virginia, said Bill J. Crouch, Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. While many healthcare providers believe that improving the patient financial experience is a critical step for their organization, few have done so successfully. On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act into law. Beckley, WV25801, 845 Fifth Avenue Inability to Expand. Please. The American Addiction Centers incident led to increased oversight into the industry and increasing regulation. It offers behavioral healthcare services to its patients in various settings, including inpatient psychiatric facilities, specialty treatment facilities, residential treatment . Acadia Healthcare shares fall on mixed-bag results, forecasts CRC Health operates its subsidiary, Acadia Healthcare, located in Tennessee with treatment centers in West Virginia. Once the law is signed by the president, at a ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, federal prosecutors will finally be able to go after patient brokers and the providers who pay them. In August 2018, the Department of Justice announced the creation of a new regional Medicare fraud strike force covering Newark, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, adding to similar such strike forces in Miami, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and other major metropolitan areas. Allowed young people to stay on their parents' insurance until the age of 26. Again, the leadership has, for the most part, cashed in. Website: www.acadiahealthcare.com Headquarters: Franklin, TN Size: 10000+ Employees Founded: 2005 Type: Company - Public (ACHC) Industry: Health Care Services & Hospitals Revenue: $1 to $5 billion (USD) Competitors: Universal Health Services, Inc., HCA Healthcare, Summit Behavioral Healthcare (OH) Create Comparison The settlement represents the largest healthcare fraud settlement in the history of West Virginia and is twice the actual loss from the scheme. In a one-week period in 2017, two suicides occurred at the facility. 7, No. He tries to keep his golf game in shape and is a loyal fan of his alma mater's Oklahoma Sooner football team.Disclosure: Katie Mikles (SeekingAlpha Contributor) and I are colleagues and partners from a journalistic and entrepreneurial standpoint as well as personal friends. Acadia is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services across the United States. Henderson, NV, Seven Hills Hospital. I found sobriety just over a decade ago, after further treatment at the Hazelden Foundation and Prescott House. While it says that it is keeping debt high to make additional acquisitions, those acquisitions have not happened. It closed all of the loopholes insurers used to circumvent the prior Mental Health Parity Act of 1997 (MHPA). CRC allegedly billed Acadia, and Acadia paid the San Diego lab, while at the same time billing West Virginia's Medicaid program, with the latter company receiving more than $8 million from Medicaid. A lawsuit charges that the facility lacks sufficient and appropriately trained staff. Acadia recently reported that profits slid in the first quarter to $29.5 million from more than $50 million early last year, led mostly by personnel costs. A second attempt to contact AG Sessions was made on April 26, 2018. The State cited (Belmont-Combined-State-Inspections.pdf) the facility for lack of staff and lack of facilities that would prevent suicides, among other things. Email the writer:jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com, 2023 Healthcare Finance is a publication of HIMSS Media, Optum: Two new Alzheimer's drugs in the pipeline, AHA voices support for telehealth expansion bill, Amazon completes $3.9B acquisition of One Medical, Healthcare organizations ask HHS to delay quality measure reporting for ACOs. I'll first provide you with . If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Acadia shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or. No response was provided or has been since. Attorney General Sessions has since resigned. From January 1, 2012 to July 31, 2018, Acadias treatment centers sent urine and blood samples to an outside laboratory, San Diego Reference Laboratory (the San Diego Lab) for all moderate and high complexity drug testing. As part of the settlement, Acadia and its chain of clinics have entered into a five-year corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that requires the company to maintain a compliance program, implement a risk assessment program and hire an outside organization to review Medicaid claims. Joey Jacobs stated: The company remains actively engaged with its acquisition pipeline and expects its 2018 acquisitionactivity to be heavily skewed toward acute facilities in the United States. GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. More than 50 local police officers raided a local mental health hospital. by making a substantial payment to investors harmed by the fraud perpetrated by defendants. Each of Acadias West Virginia treatment centers is certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to perform uncomplicated waived laboratory testing only. [3] https://www.jointcommission.org/facts_about_the_joint_commission/; https://www.jointcommission.org/benefits_of_joint_commission_accreditation/. The low-interest rate environment made borrowing extremely cheap. In the United Kingdom, the majority of Acadia's revenue comes from its healthcare facilities, and virtually all of the payment received is from the National Health Service. 23. The following month, the child's family filed a wrongful death suit against Ascent (owned by Acadia), the employees, and its corporate entities for $135 million. Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. ACHC has started the work on building a new 96-bed inpatient behavioral health facility named Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Northeast in Pennsylvania.. Carpenter didnt respond further. The Medicaid program is primarily administered by the states, but jointly financed by federal and state funds funds ultimately originating from taxpayers. The best natural target was opioid addiction, with its high demand for substance abuse treatment services. According to a DOJ press release, Medicaid subsequently paid the facilities a substantially higher amount for these tests than what had actually been charged by the laboratory. Waud also has a new house, widely known as Maine's "largest mansion.". Editor's note: Seeking Alpha is proud to welcome Penn Little as a new contributor. ACHC Stock | News | ACADIA HEALTHCARE Stock Price Today | Analyst That case was filed by counsel on behalf of the Garden City Employees Retirement System and other affected PSI shareholders. https://www.acadiahealthcare.com. The settlement agreement can be found 50+ officers raid mental health hospital after patient found in freezer, other disturbing claims. However, an expert in the industry says that Acadia has developed an industry-wide reputation for not providing quality care, cutting costs, and cannibalizing their own programs in order to raise profits. Fort Myers, FL, Park Royal Hospital. Working here will land you with people's deaths on your conscience. Acadia has been unable to raise any additional funds, either through financing or through additional stock placement, since Q2 2016. Multiple allegations of sexual assault of a patient exists, including McCardle v Seven Hills/Acadia, in which a patient exposes himself to a young woman. All they had to do was limit the number of provider visits or the number of days they would cover for mental health patients. The company's shares (Ticker: ACHC) closed at $32.60 Tuesday, down nearly four percent from Monday. Our intensive, holistic 6 treatment model results in a depth of recovery that is transformational for residents, and fulfilling for our staff. They corroborated the accounts of problems and spoke about a lack of executive interest in improving the situation., Things were dangerous, one former employee said. Fraudulent billing by these Acadia/CRC drug treatment clinics, as contended by the government, limits the States ability to provide desperately needed addiction treatment services, Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region including West Virginia, said in the release. 1. labor relations violation. Acadia Corporate Headquarters 6100 Tower Circle, Suite 1000 Franklin, TN 37067 Tel: 615-861-6000 Toll Free: 855-526-8228 Fax: 615-261-9685 Additional Information Treatment Overview Populations Overview Programming & Services Careers Available Find Your Treatment Facility Disorders We Treat Complaints included physical and sexual assaults, forging of documents, short-staffing, runaway patients, and failures to prevent injuries and suicide attempts. In the shareholder earnings call for Q2, Joey Jacobs said they were expecting one more interest rate hike by the end of the year. Source: Y Charts, Cap Table: 2016 ACHC Proxy Statement (pp. Questions about Arcadia Health Care. This epidemic in the United States exploded throughout the mid-2010s, skyrocketing the number of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) centers. In Gwinnett County, police confirm they're focusing on 51 former patients. They care only about profit. About Us | Acadia Healthcare Allegations of potential fraudulent billing and abuse are not limited to Acadia and UHS. Those who purchased Acadia Healthcare Company Inc (NASDAQ: ACHC) shares should contact the Shareholders Foundation, Inc. Acadia would suffer greatly from any changes in the regulatory environment. Two years ago, Brown Consulting Behavioral Services warned that with increased attention of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Behavioral Healthcare leaders, like other healthcare leaders, must re-examine their internal operations and practices to protect their organizations from fraud and abuse. The July 21, 2017 article spoke of an Integrity Gap, referring to the distance between day-to-day conduct and the ethical standards of the organization. The San Diego Lab performed the testing and invoiced Acadias treatment centers for the services, and did so at the request of the treatment centers. 5. Some notable issues stated in the conference call or in public filings were: ACHC 2018 Recommendations. Acadia has been unable to hire and retain professional personnel. Medicare/Medicaid payments are critical for these predominantly high-debt firms to meet rising interest expenses. Acadia Healthcare 31,705 followers 1w Acadia's Comprehensive Treatment Centers, or CTCs, provide vital care for adults who are suffering from opioid addictions. The company, which. February 13, 2019. An official website of the United States government. MARKET PULSE Health-clinic operator Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc. (ACHC) on Monday offered up sales results and forecasts that beat estimates, but a weaker showing for profits. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Source: YCharts. The ADHS website lists facility enforcement actions dating back three years. Overview. Insider ownership has plummeted over the last three years, from 30% to now less than 2.5% (See the ACHC Proxy Statement Extractions below, starting with 2012). Human Resource Jobs - Acadia Healthcare On average, how many hours do you work a day at . 3. 4. [4]Acadia Healthcare: ADHS Documents Reveal Violence and Understaffing at Oasis Behavioral Health, Capitol Forum, Vol. Debbie Osteen is Former Chief Executive Officer at Acadia Healthcare. He hasnt been able to stand since he left Rolling Hills in January 2018, Marsha said. 30% of Acadias revenue comes from the UK, but problems exist, such as: The shortage of nursing staff in the UK is cause for alarm bells. In regards to Jacobs' tenure as CEO of PSI, himself and his team were subjected to various allegations and litigation after the sale to UHS. Revocation seems rare and in the case of repeated allegations against facilities in the behavioral health industry questions whether this contributes to patients health and lives being kept at risk. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in West Virginia is the single entity of the West Virginia state government that is certified annually by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct statewide investigations of healthcare providers that defraud the Medicaid program. I am not receiving compensation for it. Its purpose was to ensure that all Americans had access to affordable health insurance health insurance that was now required by law to provide access to MH and SUD care on par with traditional healthcare. Our Mission Acadia bought the facility in 2012 and since them three families have sued over injuries to loved ones who were patients there. Davis Group LLC, doing business as Caring Family Solutions, operates programs within Greater New Haven County in Connecticut, and on its website says it is a behavioral health agency dedicated to improving the lives of youth and their families by providing responsive, accountable, and clinical,personal support for Youth.[10]In January 2019, the facilitys owner agreed to pay $100,000 and was suspended from participating in the states Medicaid program for 10 years for an alleged long-term pattern of submitting false claims to the program, including psychotherapy services provided by unlicensed persons, in violation of program regulations and claims submitted for services never provided, authorities said.[11]. Official websites use .gov Our community is ready to answer. Instead of the traditional time-and-capital intensive method of building new (de novo) facilities and adding beds, companies soon found that they could consolidate existing facilities and capitalize on the fragmented nature of the industry. Acadia Healthcare CEO Joey Jacobs. A damaged reputation. Source: Nashville Post. The problem is that Medicaid paid the facilities a much higher amount for the tests than the lab had charged for the analysis. 21). Acadia to pay West Virginia Medicaid $17M over opioid test fraud Acadia bought the facility in 2012 and since them three families have sued over injuries to loved ones who were patients there. At Rolling Hills, he suffered two fractured vertebrae, a dislocated shoulder and a broken foot and never recovered. The message is clear if you are cheating the system and we find you, youll not only pay for the damage done but far more. Contact. According to another friendly FBI source (reached via phone in July 2018), Special Agent Tara Smith of Chicago, discussed the link between cost-cutting, potential fraud, and patient harm, and said: it's just not something we do, and it's a challenge to connect the two. Penn Little, a healthcare-finance journalist, took this up on January 31, 2019, reporting that when The Daily Oklahoman published graphic photos and a report of allegations of elder abuse at Rolling Hills, including Myron Ballous story, this could likely impact Acadias revenue.[9]. The entire industry, which was previously a cash-pay or a charitably-supported field filled with legitimate actors, became a massive gold rush, according to Bloomberg News. If any of the above happens, it will likely cause Mizuho (which currently has a $60 price target) and Wells Fargo to downgrade the stock as they have in the past, causing a further sell-off. Based on 69 reviews. As a result, reputable clinicians are willing to refer to Acadia less and less. Medicaid paid Acadias treatment centers $8,500,000 as a result of these moderate and complex urine and blood testing claims, resulting in a loss of $2,181,100 to the State of West Virginia and $6,318,900 to the United States. Acadia pays $17M settlement | | nashvillepost.com sued Jacobs and the PSI Management in Federal District Court, Complaint in US District Court (Rocinek et al v. PSI, Filed 7/20/2010), (Garden City Employees Ret. Following allegations of fraudulent Medicaid claims, Acadia Healthcare has agreed to pay a $17 million settlement, according to a recent press release by the Department of Justice. 16). Acadia (Nasdaq: ACHC) operates close to 600 facilities in 40 states and the United Kingdom, and is Middle Tennessee's fifth-largest publicly traded health care company, with $2.84 billion of . By CCHR International Not only government and Joint Commission oversight but also criminal prosecutions over patient restraint and other deaths and sexual abuse of patients are seriously lacking. On Tuesday morning 02/28/2023 the Acadia Healthcare Co Inc share started trading at the price of $77.74. 7, No. Government inspection documents reported allegations of sexual harassment and physical abuse. Myron already had health problems and used a wheelchair, but he could stand for long enough to get into bed or onto the toilet, she said. When Bleecker Street Research brought to light ACCs over-billing practices for urine tests, that was the fatal blow. At the same time that Acadia's debt burden is close to becoming unserviceable, it keeps saying it will continue expansion. While both acts were written with the clear intention of ensuring that people with MH and SUD would receive adequate care, it was passed without clear economic foresight. Seeing that the 1997 law had no effect on ensuring people could get the mental health and substance use care they needed, and desperate to induce actual change, Senator Ted Kennedy and his son, Patrick, were key in adding the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) as a rider to the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Entry Level Employee. The hospital didnt investigate to determine if the reports were legitimate, according to inspection reports. A weak UK environment. Since the passage of the three new laws, they replaced their first CEO, Norman King "Trey" Carter III, with Joey Jacobs, the former CEO of Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. Then, nearly the entire management team that led PSI accompanied Jacobs to Acadia after PSI was sold to Universal Health Services (Nasdaq: UHS). Acadia Healthcare Acquires CenterPointe Behavioral Health System Acadia is 98% owned by institutions. A hospital, now owned by UHS, hasnt appeared to change much. Fraudulent billing by these Acadia/CRC drug treatment clinics, as contended by the government, limits the States ability to provide desperately needed addiction treatment services, said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region including West Virginia. Huntington:(304) 529-5799. Ending racism in healthcare often begins with medical education - and is the target of a new national project. 3.9. Notes : Parent-subsidiary linkages are based on relationships current as of the latest revision listed in the Update Log, which may vary from what was the case when a violation occurred. The strike force works with law enforcement agencies including State Medicaid Fraud Control Units. Source: The Braff Group. In many cases, the documents provided by ADHS show that when Oasis provided an acceptable plan of correction, the department did not conduct an on-site follow up survey, according to The Capitol Forum. The investigation was conducted by HHS-OIG, the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unite and members of the U.S. Attorneys Healthcare Fraud Abuse, Recovery and Response Team. It also employs about 20,000 people that serve about 70,000 people a day as of the end of October 2021, according to the release. If an organization operates unethically, the organization moves further away from its ethical code and widens the Integrity Gap.[2] Clearly, this advice was not taken because for-profit behavioral hospital chains today have not just widened the gap, theyve created a gigantic chasm. In the two previous years, it has experienced a 20%+ drop after its Q3 earnings announcement. Too few staff members to treat patients appropriately. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. This corporation is taking advantage of the most vulnerable people in our. He sold the company in 2017 to a global private equity firm.Penn serves as a contributor for Forbes as well. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Since mid-August 2015, insider holdings have dwindled from 30% to less than 1%. And it will take external-to-the-industry government and law enforcement response to close that gap. I am proud of the work of my office and that of our partners to ensure the end of this multi-million dollar scheme. 2 min read PHILADELPHIA, March 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that it is investigating Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHC). Fix the multitude of issues with the current facilities and get a solid foundation before trying to build higher. Acadia Healthcare Agrees to $17 Million Settlement Regarding Fraudulent They could eliminate some of those cases, but they could also find evidence of more criminal activity, Pihera said. Acadia is nearing a high-risk of default, and logically, would soon be unable to continue to borrow for growth. Another law, passed in 1997, had tried to achieve something similar. Neither party has chosen to respond or provide any comment to the substance brought forth herein. Defendants' fraudulent scheme and course of business that operated as a fraud or deceit on purchasers of Psychiatric Solutions common stock was a success, as it: (I) deceived the investing public regarding Psychiatric Solutions prospects and business; (II) artificially inflated the price of Psychiatric Solutions' common stock; (III) allowed certain of the defendants to reap over $5.6 million in insider selling proceeds; and (iv) caused plaintiff and other members of the Class to purchase Psychiatric Solutions common stock at inflated prices." The company has seen a mass exodus of value, about a third of its market cap, since Littles first report on the behavioral healthcare company. Room 209 Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The charges were dismissed. Employees are very underpaid and there is no sense of teamwork between employees. From the Q2 ACHC shareholder call. Detectives said they believe they will find evidence of dozens of crimes. Net cash provided by operating activities for the first half of 2018 was $217 million. Then three more in 2019. They also increased cost sharing through higher deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket payments. WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich., September 27, 2022 -- ( BUSINESS WIRE )--Henry Ford Health, one of the nation's premier academic and integrated health systems, and Acadia Healthcare, the nation's. Regulators had inadvertently created an environment ripe for investment. According to the Archer complaint, there was no supervision or security present at the time of the incident due to the understaffed personnel. Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2022. Penn holds a B.A. 17). Good morning, and welcome to Acadia's Fourth Quarter 2022 Conference Call. Deal is largest for health care fraud in West Virginia history, Shugga Hi owner sues for right to buy property eyed for ER, Grading the Predators major trades so far. Cash from operations growth has dried up. Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) Q4 Earnings Miss on Rising Costs Geisinger and Acadia Healthcare hold groundbreaking ceremony 27). Assistant United States Attorneys Alan McGonigal and Jennifer Mankins handled the matter on behalf of the United States.