United Seating and Mobility, LLC, D/B/A Numotion, Agrees to Pay $13,500,000 to Resolve Alleged False Claims for Custom Wheelchairs

PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Gary M. Restaino announced today that United Seating and Mobility, LLC, d/b/a Numotion (Numotion), a Missouri limited liability company that provides specialized durable medical equipment, agreed to pay $13,500,000 to resolve allegations that the company violated the federal False Claims Act (FCA).

The settlement resolves allegations by the United States that Numotion submitted false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs for custom wheelchairs and wheelchair parts.  According to the United States’ allegations, the claims were false because they were based on patient evaluations that were unlawfully authored, completed, or signed by Numotion employees rather than being authored, completed, or signed by qualified medical professionals. Additional details of the United States’ allegations are set forth in the settlement agreement, available here. 

“The custom wheelchairs and parts involved in this investigation are critical to helping patients who rely on federal health care programs, including America’s veterans, meet their medical needs and thrive,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “But medical professionals must evaluate the need, not sales personnel from the supplier. Thanks to Numotion for self-reporting this conduct and cooperating in the investigation, and to the Inspector General for protecting the public fisc and ensuring accountability.”

“Providers that participate in the federal health care system are required to obey the laws and regulations meant to protect the integrity of these programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy DeFrancesca of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold providers accountable when they do not follow these statutes.”

The settlement resolves three qui tam, or whistleblower, lawsuits filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, private citizens may bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained.  The lawsuits resolved by the settlement agreement are:

• United States ex rel. Weiss v. United Seating & Mobility, LLC, d/b/a Numotion (CV-20-1573-PHX-SPL)

• United States ex rel. Vega v. United Seating and Mobility d/b/a Numotion, et al. (CV-21-1306-PHX-DJH)

• United States and State of Tennessee ex rel. Prager v. United Seating and Mobility LLC, d/b/a Numotion (CV-22-1899-PHX-CDB)

Through a series of self-disclosures, Numotion voluntarily reported several overpayments to the United States and cooperated with the United States’ investigation. The United States considered Numotion’s self-disclosures as one of several factors in reaching the settlement amount and the resolution of the case. The settlement is neither an admission of liability by Numotion, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. The case was handled by the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and by the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.  

Individuals with information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse related to federal programs should contact the relevant federal agency. A list of agencies and contact information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/agency-links.

CASE NUMBERS:         CV-20-1573-PHX-SPL

                                         CV-21-1306-PHX-DJH

                                         CV-22-1899-PHX-CDB

RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-117_Numotion

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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