WEIRTON — Weirton Medical Center has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations the hospital violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing the submission of claims to Medicare in violation of the Physician Self-Referral Law.
According to information released Thursday by U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld’s office, the settlement follows a voluntary self-disclosure made by the hospital regarding potential violations of the self-referral law, also known as the Stark Law.
According to a statement from WMC, the alleged violations occurred between March 1, 2012 and May 30, 2019, during the tenure of the hospital’s previous management firm. The same firm also previously managed Wheeling Hospital, which, in September 2020, agreed to a $50 million settlement over similar allegations.
“Following the United States government’s lawsuit against Wheeling Hospital, WMC terminated the contract with its management consultant and conducted an independent internal investigation to address any related concerns. WMC voluntarily cooperated with the U.S. Department of Justice in its investigation and we greatly appreciate the DOJ’s efforts in resolving this matter,” stated John Frankovitch, WMC president and CEO.
The hospital’s statement notes WMC also reached a settlement with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office on any potential state claims.
According to Ihlenfeld’s office, the Stark Law prohibits a hospital from billing Medicare for certain services referred by...
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