Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Houston Business Journal:

iqukikofor.wordpress.com
million to settle lawsuits thatallegedd Hawaii’s largest hospital overbillee government health care programs for prescription medications, federalk prosecutors said Wednesday. The settlement was the result of two whistleblower lawsuits broughr by formerpharmacy technicians, who allegecd that Queen’s overbilled the state’se Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as the federal health insurance programj for military dependents, according to a news releasre from U.S. Attorney Edward H. Kubo Jr.
The lawsuits were filed under the federal and state FalseClaimd Acts, which allow the government to claim up to triple the plus penalties, for submittinvg false claims to government The two former employees allege Queen’s submittede fake bills for anti-psychotic medications that were dispensexd by the hospital pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorizesd by a doctor, but not necessarilu by a psychiatrist, as required. The hospital was also accusee of billing from 1999 to 2006 for servicews provided by medical residents who were supposed to be supervised byothed doctors, but that the supervision did not Kubo’s office said.
Under the settlement, Queen’sz paid $2 million to the federal whichshared $400,000 of the proceeds with the two formet employees, and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two Queen’s will also maintain a compliance program to ensure its billings conformn to the rules for five yearsw under a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Healtj and Human Services. Queen's issuedr this statement: " denies any intentional but after five years of discussions and negotiations with the has agreed to settle this matter so that its resourcews may be spent on providing quality health care rathed than onlegal fees.
"