The Hawaii state Attorney General's Office is appealing a prior decision to resume Medicaid reimbursements for Frederick Nitta, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist accused of fraudulent billing.
The state Department of Human Services cut off payments to Dr. Nitta last September, and according to Hawaii Medical Service Association, Dr. Nitta's office had been overpaid over $1.2 million for urine drug screening tests between 2012 and summer of last year, according to West Hawaii Today.
In January, Dr. Nitta argued the overbilling was due to him receiving the wrong billing code for the drug tests from insurance companies, reports West Hawaii Today.
Last month, a state hearing officer found there had not been a "credible allegation of fraud," which was then overturned by the attorney general's office, claiming that finding was "erroneous," reports West Hawaii Today.
Dr. Nitta is in danger of being forced to close his practice from lack of insurer reimbursement.
According to what Dr. Nitta told the Hawaii-Tribune Herald earlier this year, 40 percent of woman who see him are addicted or abusing drugs, something he also says is a big problem among East Hawaii residents.
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