Marshall Medical Center To Pay $5.5M In Medicare Fraud Settlement
The suit alleged that the defendents — Marshall Medical Center and four others — performed chemotherapy procedures without having a physician present, as required. In addition, it alleged that an oncologist improperly billed Medicare for transfusions that required a doctor to be present, even though no doctor was there.
Sacramento Business Journal:
Marshall Hospital Pays $5.5 Million Settlement In Billing Fraud Case
Marshall Medical Center has agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle allegations that the Placerville-based hospital and other defendants defrauded Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare in billing improprieties. The settlement, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s office Thursday, stems from a 2012 federal lawsuit filed by whistleblower Colleen Herren. Her suit alleged that that Marshall and four other defendents defrauded the insurance systems through a variety of bill improprieties, according to the settlement announcement. (Anderson, 7/1)
In other hospital news —
The Fresno Bee:
$55 Million Hospital Bond Campaign Divides Tulare
Voters in Tulare and outlying areas are being courted to vote yes on Measure I, the proposed $55 million bond that supporters say is needed to finish the stalled Tulare Regional Medical Center expansion project. But some residents who normally would be bond cheerleaders are opposing it, saying they don’t trust the company under contract with Tulare Local Health Care District to run the hospital. (Griswold, 7/2)
The Fresno Bee:
Saint Agnes Bid To Modify Minimum Charity-Care Level Draws Ire
Saint Agnes Medical Center is coming under fire from community members for its request to reduce the amount it is required to allocate to charity care under an agreement with the state attorney general. The nonprofit Catholic-based hospital in Fresno wants a $7 million annual charity-care minimum, established three years ago, to be lowered because it provided less than $5 million in care to patients who had no insurance or means to pay for their care in 2015. (Anderson, 7/2)