Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle allegations that it had submitted false claims that patients suffered from malnutrition and acute respiratory failure to receive higher reimbursements, according to officials with the U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland.
The complaint, filed by two Bayview employees, said the hospital told them to review charts and code for increased severity of the two secondary diagnoses for certain patients, even if the condition was not actually diagnosed or treated during the hospital stay. The allegations cover a 20-month period from July 1, 2005 to Feb. 28, 2007. Reimbursement is allocated through the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission, which sets all rates for providers in the state.
Bayview denies the allegations and said the agreement does not constitute an admission of guilt. The two employees who filed the complaint will receive 20% of the total settlement, or $550,000.
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