A doctor claims The Villages Health fell short of its promises.
Dr. Jim Besong has outlined his differences with The Villages Health in a document filed this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Orlando.
Besong, who has been practicing out of The Villages Health’s Mulberry Care Center since January, said he was promised annual compensation of $230,000 for three years and a signing bonus of $15,000. Most importantly, he was told he would see a “gradual build-up of his patient panel over a period of approximately two years” to allow him ample time to “integrate” into The Villages Health’s “care model” and its “billing methodology.”
However, shortly after he joined The Villages Health, Besong said his “workload increased drastically and unexpectedly due to multiple physician departures and leaves of absence at the Mulberry Care Center,” the court document said. Within two months, he was carrying a full patient load. He also was handed “a significant increase in duties without a corresponding increase in compensation.”
Besong, who is from Limbe, Cameroon and earned his undergraduate degree from Queens College (CUNY) and his medical degree from Ross University, has filed an objection in the bankruptcy proceeding.
Also in bankruptcy court this week, Judge Lori Vaughan received assurances that The Villages Health’s 55,000 patients are being kept in the loop and being provided updates about the status of the bankruptcy proceedings. Vaughan presided in a hearing about the crucial financing needed to keep The Villages Health afloat prior to a possible sale in September. UnitedHealthcare, The Villages Health’s longtime Medicare Advantage partner, had objected to the $46 million financial bridge offered by The Villages at 10 percent interest. Lawyers were able to iron out an interim agreement when the judge provided an additional 30 minute recess for a last-minute bargaining session.
UnitedHealthcare has accused the Morse family of raking in millions of dollars from The Villages Health prior to the sudden bankruptcy of the “Marcus Welby” physician service.
UnitedHealthcare contends it was caught off guard by the bankruptcy filing. It strenuously objects to the proposed sale of The Villages Health to Humana’s Centerwell, which is The Villages’ chosen buyer. The bid deadline for the assets of The Villages Health has been set for Sept. 3 with a potential sale announced on Sept. 9. The Villages is hoping to close on the sale in early October.
The bankruptcy is intertwined with “erroneous Medicare coding” that could force The Villages Health to repay as much as $360 million to the U.S. government.