Hancock, Mich.-based Portage Hospital has agreed to pay $4.4 million to settle allegations its home healthcare agency violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare, according to the Department of Justice.
Portage Hospital self-disclosed violations to HHS' Office of Inspector General, and the settlement stemmed from those disclosures.
Based on the information provided by the hospital, the government alleged that physical therapy services provided by a staff therapist between January 2006 and November 2013 were medically unnecessary, lacked adequate documentation of medical necessity, and/or did not qualify for payment by Medicare, according to the DOJ.
"Portage Hospital is to be commended for disclosing this matter," said U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles Jr. "Self-disclosures by providers are critical to protecting the integrity of federal healthcare programs."
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