Cretney-Tsosie, et al. v. Creekside Hospice II, LLC, et al.

Filing 150

ORDER Granting 149 Joint Motion to Reseal Documents. IT IS ORDERED that 102 and 136 shall be sealed and Plaintiff shall file redacted versions of 1 and 4 to prevent dissemination of personally identifying information. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that no further stipulations or joint requests will be approved that fail to comply with LR 6-2(a). Signed by Magistrate Judge Peggy A. Leen on 01/08/2016. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - NEV)

Case 2:13-cv-00167-APG-PAL Document 149 Filed 01/06/16 Page 1 of 6

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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DISTRICT OF NEVADA

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4 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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Plaintiff,
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v.
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CREEKSIDE HOSPICE II, LLC, SKILLED
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8 HEALTHCARE GROUP INC. and SKILLED )
HEALTHCARE, LLC,
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Defendants.
) Case No.: 2:13-cv-00167-APG-PAL
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11 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ex rel.
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JOANNE CRETNEY-TSOSIE, et al.,
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Plaintiffs,
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v.
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CREEKSIDE HOSPICE II, LLC, et al.,
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Defendants.
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16 ______________________________________ )
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17 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ex rel.
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VENETA LEPERA,
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Plaintiffs,
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v.
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SKILLED HEALTHCARE, LLC, et al.,
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Defendants.
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JOINT MOTION TO RESEAL DOCUMENTS 102 AND 136 AND
TO SUBSTITUTE DOCUMENTS 1 AND 4

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Counsel for the respective Parties request that the Court reseal documents 102 and 136 in this

26 matter, and to substitute redacted versions of Relator Joanne Cretney-Tsosie’s Complaint (Dkt. #1)
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and Amended Complaint (Dkt. #4) in order to prevent dissemination of the personally identifiable
information in those documents.

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A.

Background

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These consolidated civil False Claims Act (FCA) cases both began as a qui tam lawsuits filed

5 under seal, as required by the FCA. On August 6, 2014, the United States filed a notice that it was
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intervening in these cases (#34). Prior to that notice, all filings were made under seal as the FCA

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requires.
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On September 17, 2015, Defendants filed a motion to unseal those filings in both cases

10 which had been made under seal prior to the United States’ intervention in this matter. (Cretney11 Tsosie Case #117.) On December 30, 2015, the Court entered an order in each of the cases stating:
12 “The clerk of court shall unseal sealed documents in both consolidated actions (Case no. 2:13-cv13 01283 and 2:13-cv-0167).” (Cretney-Tsosie Case #147; Lepera Case # 27.)
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This order, however, was apparently interpreted by the Clerk of Court as requiring the

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unsealing of all documents in the two cases which were under seal, including those filed after the
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United States had intervened. Counsel has confirmed, by checking the docket, that two such sealed

18 documents in this matter, ## 102 and 136, have been unsealed, even though Defendants did not
19 intend for them to be unsealed.
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The two documents at issue contain lists of the names and dates of service for patients in the
statistically valid random sample as to whom the United States contends false claims were submitted
by Defendants. Under the protective order entered in this action, documents produced in this action

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that contain identifiable patient health information (PHI) are to be marked confidential and if these
documents are filed with the court the document is to be de-identified or filed under seal. DKT 141.

26 These documents referenced as #102 and #136 were submitted under seal in accordance with the
27 protective order and Local Rule 10-5 and in compliance with the litigation proceedings requirements
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contained in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) governing
regulations. See 45 CFR § 164.512(e)(1)(ii)(B).
The parties do not intend that identifiable patient information be disclosed in this action

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4 including the documents filed under seal referenced in DKT #102 and #136.
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In addition, in Relator Cretney-Tsosie’s Complaint (Dkt. #1) and Amended Complaint (Dkt.
#4), Relator identified several Creekside patients by their first names and the first initial of their last

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names. As a result, in Relator’s Response to Defendants’ Motion to Unseal Related Actions (Dkt.
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#120), Relator asked that in the event the Court granted Defendants’ motion, that the Court order the

10 names of the Creekside patients be redacted before the complaints became publicly accessible. In
11 this Court’s Order granting Defendants’ Motion to Unseal Related Actions (Dkt. #147), the Court
12 stated that “a review of the pleadings reflects [that Relator] merely provided two letter initials for a
13 handful of sample patients used to illustrate the nature of the alleged fraud.” 12/30/15 Order at 1314

14. However, because Relator’s Complaint and Amended Complaint contain complete first names

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of patients rather than first initials, Relator asks this Court to substitute the attached redacted
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Complaint and Amended Complaint (attached as Exhibits A and B). The only change in the revised

18 Complaint and Amended Complaint is the redaction of the complete first names of the patients,
19 leaving only the patients’ initials. All parties agree with this substitution.
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B.

Conclusion

In order to protect the personally identifiable information in these four documents, the Parties

3 jointly request the Court to re-seal Documents 102 and 136 in this matter and to substitute
4 Documents 1 and 4 with Exhibits A and B.
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Dated: January 6, 2016
For the Plaintiff:
BENJAMIN C. MIZER
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
DANIEL G. BOGDEN
United States Attorney

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/s/ Roger Wenthe
ROGER WENTHE
Assistant United States Attorney

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MICHAEL D. GRANSTON
RENÉE BROOKER
JENELLE M. BEAVERS
KAVITHA J. BABU
Attorneys, Civil Division

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For the Relators:

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L. Timothy Terry (NV Bar #2341)
[e-mail]
The Terry Law Firm, Ltd.
P.O. Box 2348
Carson City, NV 89702
775.883.2348

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Steven Cohen (admitted pro hac vice)
[e-mail]
Cohen Law Group
70 West Madison Street, Suite 4000
Chicago IL 60602
312.327.8800

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Matthew J. Piers (admitted pro hac vice)
[e-mail]
Joshua Karsh (admitted pro hac vice)
[e-mail]
Juliet Berger-White (admitted pro hac vice)
[e-mail]
Caryn Lederer
[e-mail]
Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd.
Three First National Plaza
70 West Madison Street, Suite 4000

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Case 2:13-cv-00167-APG-PAL Document 149 Filed 01/06/16 Page 5 of 6

Chicago, Illinois 60602
312.580.0100
By: /s/
Attorneys for Plaintiff/Relator Joanne
Cretney-Tsosie

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Ruth L. Cohen, Esq. (NV Bar No: 1782)
Email: [e-mail]
Paul S. Padda, Esq. (NV Bar No. 10417)
Email: [e-mail]
COHEN & PADDA, LLP
4240 West Flamingo Road, Suite 220
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Tele: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
By: /s/
Attorneys for Relator Veneta Lepera

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For the Defendants:
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Kathleen McDermott (admitted pro hac vice)
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004
Email: [e-mail]
Tel.: [phone]
Charles H. McCrea (NV Bar No. 104)
Hejmanowski & McCrea LLC
520 S. 4th Street, Suite 320
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Email: [e-mail]
Tel.: [phone]
By: /s/ Kathleen McDermott
Attorneys for Defendants

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IT IS ORDERED that Dkt. ##102 and 136 shall be sealed and Plaintiff shall file redacted
versions of Dkt. ##1 and 4 to prevent dissemination of personally identifying information.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that no further stipulations or joint requests will be approved
that fail to comply with LR 6-2(a).

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DATED this 8th day of January, 2016.
___________________________________
___________________________________
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Peggy A. Leen
P
Peggy A Leen
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Leen
United States Magistrate Judge

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Case 2:13-cv-00167-APG-PAL Document 149 Filed 01/06/16 Page 6 of 6

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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I hereby certify that on the date shown, a true and correct copy of the foregoing document
was filed with the Court using the Court’s CM/ECF system and was served upon each attorney of

4 record via ECF notification.
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Dated: January 6, 2016

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_/s/ Roger W. Wenthe
Roger W. Wenthe

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EXHIBIT A

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EXHIBIT B

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