PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — Mountain Comprehensive Care’s former chief financial officer has sued the company, claiming she was subjected to a hostile work environment after she refused to falsify billing codes.

Rebeckah Hall, a 26-year employee of the organization, filed a complaint Jan. 23, in Floyd Circuit Court, against Mountain Comprehensive Care and its subsidiary, Mountain Plus Services.

In the complaint, she claims her supervisors, including CEO Promod Bishnoi, instructed her to submit false billing codes to generate more revenue for the organization. Those allegations include:

• Billing for services provided at a federally-qualified health center, when services were provided at a different location.
• Refraining from engaging with Medicaid and Medicare for inquiries or clarification of charges identified by Bishnoi as billable.
• Billing for services under the credentials of a licensed provider when they were not rendered by a licensed provider.
• Not correcting billing codes after the Covid pandemic to reflect that services were provided as “audio only.”
• Changing billing locations despite being told by the Financial and Billing departments that the action violated state law.

In her complaint, Hall says she reported her concerns to the board of directors. She further claims that after she refused to follow those directions and reported her concerns, she was subjected to retaliation, creating a hostile work environment.

Hall eventually resigned from her position on Dec. 5, which her complaint categorizes as a “constructive termination.” In legal terms, a constructive termination is a situation when an employee is forced to quit due to an employer creating intolerable working conditions.

“As you are aware, I filed a formal complaint to the Board of Directors reporting fraudulent billing activity that was requested by the CEO,” Hall said in her resignation letter, which is included as an exhibit in her lawsuit. “Once the actions were not being taken through my department (as instructed by me), the CEO went through other Program directors and staff to make this happen. It was my ethical duty to report this as the CFO. Since this time, the retaliation toward myself and my department has been severe. I have been harassed to the point that I am unable to function in such an intimidating/hostile work environment.”

A lawsuit represents only one side of a dispute. Mountain Top News has reached out to Bishnoi, as well as attorneys Megan R. U’Sellis and David Crittenden, who are representing Mountain Comprehensive Care and Mountain Plus Services. At publication time, they have not responded.

We have also reached out to Hall’s attorney, Jerry Patton, but have not yet heard back from him.

This is a developing story. It will be edited in the event any of the parties provides a response.

Copies of Hall’s complaint and resignation letter follow: