A Washington urgent care clinic has agreed to pay $2.8 million to resolve allegations it fraudulently overbilled Medicare and Medicaid for diagnostic tests.
What happened?
- Health First Urgent Care, which has locations in Richland and Pasco, Wash., fraudulently billed for polymerase chain reaction respiratory and urinary tract infection panel testing, according to a Sept. 24 Justice Department news release.
- The panel tests were a predetermined group of medical tests used to test for multiple pathogens from a single sample obtained from a patient.
- Health First Urgent Care allegedly improperly unbundled the panel test and billed for each individual test comprising the panel.
- The clinic also allegedly billed for panel tests that were more expensive and not medically necessary for certain patients, such as those presenting with symptoms of COVID-19.
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
