Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - A Helena hospital, St. Peter’s Health, has been ordered to pay nearly $11 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for payments to federal healthcare programs for services performed by an oncology doctor.
I spoke with U.S. Attorney for the State of Montana Jesse Laslovich about the case after a settlement agreement was announced at a press conference in the Helena Federal Courthouse.
“We had a press conference today announcing a settlement with St. Peter's Health regarding allegations by our office of violations of the False Claims Act committed by St. Peter's in relation to Dr. Tom Weiner, who was an oncologist at St. Peter's up until a few years ago, for submitting false claims to Medicare and Medicaid and some other federal agencies such as TRICARE, and the claims were up-coded or they were nonpayable,” began Laslovich. “In other words, the claims should not have been paid by the federal government.”
Laslovich said the investigation took several years to complete.
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“We worked over the last few years, and it was an extensive investigation,” he said. “St. Peter's has agreed to pay just under $11 million within 30 days to the United States, Medicare, and Medicaid for the claims that were paid that shouldn't have...
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