Date: September 3, 2026
Portland Press Herald and other local media outlets reported on a recent $340,000 settlement reached between medical transportation company Wells Emergency Medical Services (WEMS), the U.S. federal government, and the state of Maine. The settlement resolved whistleblower allegations that WEMS falsely charged Medicare and MaineCare for emergency services that didn't occur. TELG principal Janel Quinn represented former WEMS employee and whistleblower Scott Cryer, who will receive a portion of the settlement.
[EXCERPT]
Maine ambulance company reaches $340K settlement over whistleblower allegations of Medicare fraud
Wells Emergency Medical Services has reached a nearly $340,000 settlement concerning accusations of Medicare fraud, avoiding a potentially arduous trial.
A whistleblower alleged that, over the course of 10 years, the ambulance service fraudulently reported nonemergency interfacility transfers as emergencies, resulting in thousands of dollars in upcharges to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
» View full story on Portland Press Herald
[ADDITIONAL COVERAGE]
Wells EMS Board agrees to pay $340,000 settlement after Medicare fraud allegations
From WGME (September 4, 2026)
WELLS (WGME) — Facing accusations of Medicare fraud, the Wells EMS Board has agreed to a $340,000 settlement.
A whistleblower, a former employee, accused Wells EMS of “up charging” for Medicare and Medicaid services between 2010 and 2020.
The ambulance service is alleged to have billed more than 1,500 non-emergency runs as emergencies, which have a higher reimbursement, resulting in more than $100,000 in alleged overbilling.
“The allegation was that over that period of 10 years, WEMS overbilled by approximately $117,000,” Wells EMS Attorney Rob Hayes said.
Wells EMS settles federal Medicare fraud case brought by whistleblower for nearly $340K
From Seacoastonline (September 2, 2026)
WELLS, Maine — Facing allegations of Medicare fraud, Wells Emergency Medical Services has reached a financial settlement with the U.S. government.
The settlement, just under $340,000, allows Wells EMS (WEMS) to avoid what its attorney, Robert Hayes of Drummond Woodsum in Portland, described as a potentially lengthy and costly legal fight.
During a special meeting with the Wells Select Board on Sept. 1, Hayes described the settlement as a “compromise” resulting from a “disputed claim.”
“It’s not an admission of liability,” Hayes said. “However, the potential exposure was significant, and the litigation would have been protracted and expensive. This was the best course of action for WEMS.”
» View full story on Seacoastonline
Nonprofit Wells EMS reaches $340,000 settlement for alleged Medicare fraud
From News Center Maine (September 8, 2026)
WELLS, Maine — Wells Emergency Medical Services, a private nonprofit, reached a $340,000 settlement with the federal government and a whistleblower for allegedly upcharging about 1,000 ambulance transfers over the course of a decade.
The president of Wells EMS, Brian Toomey, and the ambulance service’s attorney, Rob Hayes, with Drummond Woodsum, debriefed the town’s selectboard on Sept. 1, the same day the case was unsealed and made available to the public.
According to court documents, from 2010 until 2020, the then director of Wells EMS instructed employees to upcode non-emergency intra-facility transfers as emergencies. According to the court filings, made in 2019 after a whistleblower came forward, non-emergent trips were reimbursed for $237 plus mileage, while emergency trips were reimbursed at $380-$425.
Over that decade, an estimated 1,000 trips were wrongly charged, costing $117,000, and about 80% of those trips were billed to Medicare, according to court documents.
