Traverse City, Mich.-based Traverse Anesthesia Associates agreed to pay the government $607,966 to settle fraud allegations, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reports.
What you should know:
1. Traverse was accused of fraud by two former employees who filed a whistleblower complaint. They'll receive a cut of the money for their efforts.
2. The complaint alleged TAA instructed employees to alter time charts to increase billable hours, and that TAA physicians annotated and back-signed records to falsely indicate compliance with mandatory billing requirements.
3. TAA is making the payments through an "economic settlement." A lawyer for TAA said the settlement was cheaper than fighting the suit to prove its innocence.
4. The payment will close the case. There will be no determination of guilt.