DOJ drops action against air ambulance operator

West Plains-based air ambulance operator Air Evac Lifeteam received word Monday that it is off the hook with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The company had been under investigation for two and a half years, according to a news release from law firm Husch Blackwell Sanders, which represented the company throughout the process. The inquiry, which also included the FBI and which Husch Blackwell attorneys called typical of the government's increased scrutiny of air ambulance companies, covered a wide variety of topics, including:

• an actuarial analysis of the company's membership program;

• medical necessity of patient transports;

• billing processes and procedures;

• contractual duties and referral activity;

• expense reports and other financial, business and billing practices; and

• the company's compliance program and safeguards.

Matt Whitworth, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri, said in a letter to the company that Air Evac was in compliance with all federal laws.

"Following a thorough investigation by federal agents, we have determined that there are no violations of federal law which warrant prosecution," Whitworth said in the letter. "The United States acknowledges and appreciates the extensive cooperation by the company throughout this investigation."

Stephen L. Hill Jr., Husch Blackwell's lead counsel in the case, said the current national focus on health care is likely to make the federal government more critical of health-care-related companies.

"We currently have several health care investigations of clients at the national level, and local U.S. attorneys and I think that trend is likely to continue," Hill said in the release.

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