Meharry Medical College has agreed to pay greater than $100,000 to settle federal allegations that the medical faculty submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for providers offered by unsupervised, non-physician residents.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee alleged that from 2016 to 2020 the medical faculty fraudulently sought doctor compensation for providers offered at inside medication, obstetrics-gynecology, and psychiatric outpatient services and for psychiatric consultations at Nashville General Hospital.
“The allegations in this case not only constitute fraud on Medicare, but also an unacceptable risk to patients,” U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis mentioned in a information launch from the Justice Department Monday. “We appreciate that Meharry agreed to implement changes to its policies to ensure compliance with Medicare’s supervision requirements regarding care provided by residents.”
As a part of the settlement, Meharry Medical College didn’t admit wrongdoing. The faculty will implement a Medicare billing coverage to make sure compliance and can supply annual coaching to college and incoming first-year residents about billing necessities.
A spokesperson for the Nashville, Tennessee-based medical faculty didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The case was introduced underneath the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Rachel Thomas, former inside medication and hospitalist doctor underneath contract to work at Nashville General Hospital.