UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital has reached a settlement after determining it received more in Medicare payments than it should have, agreeing to pay $1.5 million and a $800,000 fine.
The hospital announced the agreement Wednesday, saying the fine was the lowest possible for such an incident.
Clinton Hospital said it voluntarily disclosed the Medicare over-payment after an internally initiated compliance risk assessment and extensive internal and external audits. The federal Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Health and Human Services, to which the hospital disclosed the billing, were not able to immediately provide additional detail or comment Thursday.
The hospital’s senior management acted quickly to develop a corrective action plan after learning of the over-payment, hospital spokesman Christopher Hendry said. All services provided to patients were appropriate, and patient services or safety were not affected, he said.
The hospital said it has enhanced its oversight procedures to make sure it is in compliance in the future.
