Oswego (N.Y.) Hospital has agreed to pay a nearly $100,000 fine to resolve allegations it improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid.
The Justice Department alleged the hospital knowingly violated the False Claims Act by improperly billing the federal payers for outpatient mental healthcare services that were rendered by an unsupervised licensed master social worker, according to an Oct. 26 news release. The department also alleged the hospital was unable to provide documentation to support claims billed to Medicaid for services rendered by another LMSW.
The case began in April 2019 with a whistleblower complaint, according to the release. The whistleblower will receive $19,738.87 of the $98,694.36 settlement proceeds.