Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center will pay $3.2 million to resolve allegations it submitted false claims for payment to the New York Medicaid program, according to the Department of Justice.
The government alleged St. Joseph's submitted false claims to Medicaid for mobile-crisis outreach services that were performed by personnel who failed to satisfy the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program staffing requirements. The services were rendered from Jan. 1, 2007, through Feb. 29, 2016.
Under New York regulations, at least two CPEP staff members must be present whenever crisis intervention services are rendered outside of an emergency room. The government alleged St. Joseph's violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicaid without disclosing that its CPEP staff didn't meet the regulatory staffing requirements, according to the DOJ.
The allegations against St. Joseph's were originally brought under the qui tam, or whistle-blower, provisions of the False Claims Act.
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