Youngstown, Ohio-based Forum Health has agreed to pay nearly $2.9 million to reimburse the government for overbilling Medicare from 2003 to 2009, according to a report by The Vindicator.
Forum voluntarily disclosed the improper billing. The hospital overbilled Medicare because its billing system automatically assigned two codes, Code 06 and Code 42, for discharges rather than letting billing staff select just one, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Both codes are associated with discharges that require home-health care, but Code 42 reimburses hospitals at a higher rate because it indicates the home-health services were needed for an unrelated illness or injury.
Two of Forum's three hospitals were involved — Northside Medical Center in Youngstown and Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio, will pay $2,103,821 and $758,663 respectively, according to the report.
Community Health Systems recently bid $120 million to acquire the health system, which filed for bankruptcy in March. The deal is currently being finalized, according to the report.
Read The Vindicator report on Forum Health.
Read more coverage on Forum Health:
- Bankruptcy Judge Approves Forum Health's Sale to CHS
- CHS Submits Bid for Ohio's Forum Health
- Ardent's Deal to Buy Forum Health in Question After CHS Schedules Meeting With the System
Forum voluntarily disclosed the improper billing. The hospital overbilled Medicare because its billing system automatically assigned two codes, Code 06 and Code 42, for discharges rather than letting billing staff select just one, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Both codes are associated with discharges that require home-health care, but Code 42 reimburses hospitals at a higher rate because it indicates the home-health services were needed for an unrelated illness or injury.
Two of Forum's three hospitals were involved — Northside Medical Center in Youngstown and Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio, will pay $2,103,821 and $758,663 respectively, according to the report.
Community Health Systems recently bid $120 million to acquire the health system, which filed for bankruptcy in March. The deal is currently being finalized, according to the report.
Read The Vindicator report on Forum Health.
Read more coverage on Forum Health:
- Bankruptcy Judge Approves Forum Health's Sale to CHS
- CHS Submits Bid for Ohio's Forum Health
- Ardent's Deal to Buy Forum Health in Question After CHS Schedules Meeting With the System