Rural Health Provider Agrees to $1.7 Million Settlement Based on Self-Disclosed Improper Billing
- April 17, 2020
Maury Regional Hospital, d/b/a Maury Regional Medical Center, agreed to pay $1,702,903 to settle False Claims Act allegations, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Don Cochran announced April 13.
According to a press release, Maury Regional submitted a voluntary self-disclosure to the U.S Attorney’s Office and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, which was prompted after an internal investigation concluded there was aberrant billing for certain inpatient services.
During its investigation, Maury Regional found that certain diagnosis-related groups with complications or comorbidities or major complications or comorbidities—specifically stroke, respiratory infection, simple pneumonia, and septicemia—may not have been reasonable, allowable, or documented in accordance with Medicare Part A requirements, the release said.
“Maury Regional is again to be commended for its transparency and diligence in handling the disclosure of these aberrant billing issues,” said Cochran. “As in the past, Maury Regional swiftly implemented a protocol to address the problem going forward and developed a plan to determine the scope of the issues to be remedied, with which we agreed. It worked closely and quickly with us to bring this matter to a satisfactory resolution, even in the midst of the challenges it is facing in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic.”