TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - A hospice care center operating in the Florida Panhandle and Southern Alabama has agreed to reimburse the government over $10-million for over-billing hospice services, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Covenant Hospice Inc., which has a location in Tallahassee, will be paying $9,597,118.44 back to the federal government and $552,255.56 to the states of Florida and Alabama.
Between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010 Covenant Hospice Inc. was accused of submitting higher level claims to Medicare, Tricare and Medicaid than was medically necessary, according to the DOJ.
The department does say, "the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability."
The Justice Department says they have recovered more than $24.3 billion since 2009 through the False Claims Act which contributed to the Covenant Hospice settlement.
