Vibra Healthcare, a national hospital chain based in Mechanicsburg, Pa., has agreed to pay the federal government more than $32.7 million to resolve claims it billed Medicare for medically unnecessary services in violation of the False Claims Act, according to the Department of Justice.
The government alleged that between 2006 and 2013 Vibra, which operates more than 35 freestanding long-term care hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, admitted numerous patients who lacked symptoms that qualified them for admission. The government further alleged Vibra extended the stays of its long-term care hospital patients when it wasn't medically necessary to do so.
In addition to the monetary settlement, Vibra will also enter into a corporate integrity agreement with HHS' Office of Inspector General.
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