UPMC has agreed to pay $956,590 to the government to settle a Medicare billing claim, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
The medical system discovered and reported to the government that workers in its Visiting Nurses Association home health care subsidiary were billing Medicare for services that were provided without a doctor or other authorized practitioner approving each service, said U.S. Attorney David Hickton.
UPMC spokeswoman Gloria Kreps said the medical system had other documentation to support the billings and admits no liability in the agreement.
“UPMC chose to settle the matter to avoid a lengthy dispute and to continue focusing on our clinical and academic missions,” she said.
The agreement resolves the issue without the government having to sue the medical system, Hickton said.
The settlement amount includes $637,727 that shouldn't have been billed to Medicare plus damages equal to 50 percent of that amount, which is the normal penalty in cases where a provider discloses improper billings.
Brian Bowling is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-325-4301 or bbowling@tribweb.com.
