June 15, 2009
Queen’s Medical Center of Honolulu, Hawaii has paid a total of $2.5 million to settle two whistleblower suits that alleged overbilling of the Medicare program, the State of Hawaii Medicaid program, and TRICARE, the federal health benefits program for military dependents. The settlement agreement was signed on April 27, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The False Claims Act suit alleged that QMC submitted false bills for pharmaceuticals dispensed at the hospital, and billed federal programs for services provided by residents without the level of supervision required by federal rules.