Aymancare, Which Operates Irving Medical Clinic, to Pay $7.5 Million in COVID Testing Settlement

DALLAS - Aymancare PLLC, a Dallas-area medical provider that operates a clinic in Irving's Valley Ranch area, has agreed to pay $7.5 million to resolve federal allegations that the company overbilled the government for services connected to COVID-19 testing of uninsured patients.

Aymancare's Irving clinic is located at 10009 N. MacArthur Blvd. in the Valley Ranch area.

Federal officials alleged Aymancare operated pop-up COVID-19 testing sites during the pandemic and advertised free testing to patients. The testing was paid for through a federal program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration that reimbursed health care providers for COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccine administration for uninsured patients.

According to the government, Aymancare legitimately billed the program for collecting specimens and performing COVID-19 tests but also submitted claims for separate evaluation and management services, commonly known as E&M services.

Those billing codes typically cover services such as medical office visits.

Federal authorities alleged the additional services never occurred.

According to the government's allegations, the encounters involved technicians or other personnel administering COVID-19 tests using nasal swabs, with patients receiving no separate treatment or visit from a medical provider that would support the additional E&M claims.

"Billing for services that were never provided is a blatant abuse of the health care system and diverts critical resources away from patients who genuinely need them," said Jason E. Meadows, special agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

The $7.5 million payment resolves the government's False Claims Act allegations. The settlement is a civil resolution of the allegations and does not, by itself, constitute a finding of criminal wrongdoing.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General coordinated the investigation.