National HealthCare Corporation (NHC), an operator of skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and health hospitals, is under scrutiny for its billing practices.

National HealthCar’s subsidiary Caris Healthcare received a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee requesting medical records:

“...for patients at Caris’ Nashville office and other documents related to the billing for hospice services for the period of January 1, 2019, through the date of the CID.”

Hospice and homecare revenue of $131.5 million accounted for 11.5% of National HealthCare’s 2023 revenue.

If evidence emerges National HealthCare overbilled or wrongfully billed for patients not terminally ill, expect additional scrutiny.

Caris operates sixteen additional hospice facilities in Tennessee and thirteen others in four other states.

Instead of disclosing the matter immediately— National HealthCare says it received the CID on or about May 21, 2024— the company waited more than three months despite filing three unrelated 8-Ks since receiving the demand for records.