Florida research hospital pays $19.5M to settle liability for improper claims
Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The Department of Justice said Thursday that a Florida research hospital will pay $19.6 million to settle civil liabilities for submitting false claims to federal healthcare programs.
The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute Hospital Inc. submitted claims from 2014 to 2020 for services that weren't eligible for reimbursement under the False Claims Act, according to the DOJ.
The federal government will get roughly $18.2 million, while the state Medicaid program will get $1.3 million.
According to the DOJ, Moffitt was billing the federal government for clinical trial research services and items when the trial sponsors should have been billed, instead.
"Healthcare providers participating in federal healthcare programs must ensure that they comply with applicable rules and regulations, including those relating to the submission of claims in connection with clinical research," the DOJ's Brian M. Boynton in a statement.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger B. Handberg said in a statement that Moffitt did what it was supposed to do by self-reporting the improper claims.
"That's what Moffitt did here: self-reported its improper claims, cooperated with government investigators and took action to remediate its billing systems," Handberg said.
The DOJ said Moffitt started an independent investigation and compliance review of the claims. It then voluntarily gave the government a written disclosure laying out its findings.
The Justice Department said it considers Moffitt's actions to be full cooperation and the result was implementation of quick and substantial remedial measures.
