Mass. Attorney General says $6 million settlement reached with Brewster Ambulance and EasCare over alleged false claims submitted to MassHealth

The settlement resolves allegations that the companies and owners submitted false claims to MassHealth for more expensive services than were provided, violated MassHealth medical necessity requirements, and failed to disclose relevant information when submitting the companies’ applications to serve as MassHealth providers.

As part of the settlement, the companies and owners will pay $6 million to the state and implement a three-year independent compliance monitoring program at their own expense, the AG’s office said. The compliance monitoring program will include updated policies and procedures, training requirements, and annual site and records audits, the results of which will be reported to the AG’s office.

Brewster Ambulance Service operates 28 transport hubs across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Florida, according to its website. It has a location on Eddy Street in Attleboro.

Brewster and EasCare combined are the largest medical transportation provider in the state, Campbell said.

“When companies violate our laws and defraud the MassHealth program, crucial taxpayer resources are misdirected from paying for health care for those who need it most,” Campbell said. “I am proud to announce this settlement, which will provide meaningful restitution to the Commonwealth and ensure compliance with laws that enable the MassHealth program to serve the millions of residents who depend on it for their healthcare needs.”

Based on its investigation, the AG’s office alleged that Brewster and EasCare fraudulently “upcoded” their claims to MassHealth by billing for more expensive levels of services than they actually provided or required, including billing for emergency services when only non-emergency services were provided or required.

Additionally, it was alleged that the companies fraudulently billed MassHealth for medically unnecessary services and/or for nonemergency services without maintaining relevant medical necessity documentation, as required by MassHealth.

Furthermore, in violation of MassHealth medical necessity requirements, the attorney general’s office alleged that Brewster and EasCare also requested medical authorization signatures from providers without presenting relevant and completed medical necessity documentation as required.

Also, it was alleged that when submitting their MassHealth provider applications, Brewster and EasCare failed to disclose to MassHealth relevant information concerning owners, managers, and employees of the companies.

The attorney general’s office said that this conduct constituted violations of various state laws, including the Massachusetts False Claims Act. These allegations were first uncovered through a whistleblower lawsuit filed in the District of Massachusetts.

The matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Mary-Ellen Kennedy, Scott Grannemann, Matthew Jones, and Rosie Loring, Investigations Supervisor Dean Bates, Senior Investigator Will Welsh, and Investigator Ashley Marquez, all of the AGO’s Medicaid Fraud Division, as well as Marlee Leo, Director of Investigations in the AGO’s Civil Investigations Division. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and MassHealth provided substantial assistance during the investigation.

This matter is representative of the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Division’s ongoing efforts to combat MassHealth fraud, including within the medical transportation industry. In July 2025, the attorney general’s office announced an over $1 million settlement with a Millville-based medical transportation company, also based on a whistleblower lawsuit filed in federal court, concerning allegations that the company submitted false claims to MassHealth and the Department of Developmental Services for contracted routes not actually driven and failed to have required staff monitors onboard for certain routes.

In April 2025, the AG’s office secured indictments against a Worcester-based medical transportation company and its owner for submitting millions of dollars in false claims to MassHealth for services that were never provided, laundering MassHealth funds, and abusing and neglecting patients.

In February 2024, the AG’s offiO secured a $1.6 million settlement with two North Dartmouth ambulance companies and their owner for submitting false claims to MassHealth for more expensive or “upcoded” services than were actually provided, billing MassHealth for medically unnecessary services, and failing to comply with MassHealth’s medical necessity requirements.