CT Medical Practice, APRN To Pay $600K Settlement In False Claims Case

WETHERSFIELD, CT — A local medical practice owner will pay more than $600,000 to resolve government claims of improper billing to both Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid.

Armand Ntchana and his medical practice reached a civil settlement agreement with both the federal and state governments, officials announced Wednesday.

Through the agreement, Ntchana and his related entities agreed to pay $614,427, plus interest.

Attorney General William Tong said healthcare providers who participate in taxpayer funded healthcare plans “have an obligation to bill for services honestly and accurately.”

“We will continue to work with our partners at the state and federal level to hold bad actors accountable and protect public healthcare programs and patients,” said Tong.

Ntchana, now a Louisiana resident, is licensed in Connecticut as an advanced practice registered nurse, according to Tong’s office.

Ntchana is the principal member and owner of Integrated Procare Services LLC, a psychiatric medication management practice in Wethersfield.

Ntchana has owned corporations which formerly operated state-funded residential care homes, Brookside Residential Care Home in Danbury and Riverview Residential Care Home in New Haven. He ceased control of operations in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and sold the properties in 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

The False Claims Act violations happened between 2016 and 2020 and included billing Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid for services not rendered, for the services of an unlicensed provider, and for upcoded or duplicative claims, officials said.

The government said there were bills for an “impossible number of hours per day,” and for when Ntchana was out of the country, on vacation, or not in the office. In some cases, patients were actually hospitalized or deceased, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

False claims were submitted which listed Ntchana as the medical provider when patients were actually seen by someone with no license or medical qualifications, officials said.

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.