SAN DIEGO: Sharp HealthCare Settles Medicare Billing Dispute
San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare Foundation, a not-for-profit hospital chain, agreed last week to an $825,000 settlement of charges that it falsely "billed Medicare for treatment provided by Grossmont Hospital doctors when new physicians undergoing training actually did the work" and characterized routine diagnoses as severe in order to obtain a higher billing rate. Maintaining that they admit "no wrongdoing," Sharp officials said they "agreed to a settlement to avoid potentially long and costly litigation that would divert dollars away from patient care." Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Segreto added, "There were no quality-of-care issues, and we're happy to settle these allegations in a manner acceptable to both parties" (Clark, San Diego Union Tribune, 11/23).
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