Catholic Healthcare West has agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle allegations that seven CHW hospitals submitted false Medicare claims, according to a Sacramento Business Journal report.
The allegations stem back to the 1990s, with the Department of Justice becoming involved in 2001. The settlement resolves allegations that three hospitals received overpayments due to Medicare processing errors but did not return the funds when the errors were discovered; three CHW hospitals submitted inflated costs for their home health agencies and were overpaid; and one hospital being overpaid for treating a high percentage of patients with end-stage kidney disease for several years, including two years when the hospital was not eligible.
“After a decade of reviewing these records, some instances of errors were discovered. CHW is committed to ethical business practices, denies that it intentionally withheld funds and is pleased to have resolved this matter,” CHW said, according to the report.
CHW is the eighth largest hospital provider in the nation, operating facilities in California, Nevada and Arizona.
Read the Sacramento Business Journal report on Catholic Healthcare West.
Read about other recent settlements from hospitals:
- Georgia's St. Joseph's/Candler Health Pays $2.7M to Settle Medicaid Fraud Allegations
- AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan Pays $2M to Settle Medicaid Fraud Allegations
- Pharmaceutical Company Will Pay $280M to Settle False Claims Allegations
The allegations stem back to the 1990s, with the Department of Justice becoming involved in 2001. The settlement resolves allegations that three hospitals received overpayments due to Medicare processing errors but did not return the funds when the errors were discovered; three CHW hospitals submitted inflated costs for their home health agencies and were overpaid; and one hospital being overpaid for treating a high percentage of patients with end-stage kidney disease for several years, including two years when the hospital was not eligible.
“After a decade of reviewing these records, some instances of errors were discovered. CHW is committed to ethical business practices, denies that it intentionally withheld funds and is pleased to have resolved this matter,” CHW said, according to the report.
CHW is the eighth largest hospital provider in the nation, operating facilities in California, Nevada and Arizona.
Read the Sacramento Business Journal report on Catholic Healthcare West.
Read about other recent settlements from hospitals:
- Georgia's St. Joseph's/Candler Health Pays $2.7M to Settle Medicaid Fraud Allegations
- AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan Pays $2M to Settle Medicaid Fraud Allegations
- Pharmaceutical Company Will Pay $280M to Settle False Claims Allegations