U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said Boston Medical Center agreed to pay the federal government $1.1 million for Medicare and Medicaid fraud allegations, according to The Boston Globe.
Here are four points:
1. Prosecutors charged the hospital and two of its physician groups for billing Medicare for more units of the cancer drug Rituxan than it actually used as well as for billing Medicare and Medicaid for services at a presurgical center that other fees covered.
2. The hospital and physician group also faced charges for submitting claims to Medicare for outpatient podiatry services deemed unnecessary.
3. Boston Medical Center reported it began an audit of the Rituxan billing, repaid some of the misused funds and was going to investigate the presurgical services billing once the hospital became aware of the federal investigation.
4. In a statement, the hospital said all healthcare institutions have to regularly identify and correct billing errors, and Boston Medical Center is committed to being a "responsible financial steward" of Medicare and Medicaid.
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