Hartford Hospital refunds Medicare

Hartford (CT) Hospital has agreed to reimburse the federal Medicare program $788,960 to settle allegations that it overcharged for certain cancer treatments over a four-year period. The hospital has became the fourth in the state to pay damages and penalties under the U.S. False Claims Act stemming from overbilling for intravenous treatments given to patients from 2000 to 2004. Federal law allows hospitals to bill Medicare for one unit of chemotherapy per patient visit, and instead Hartford Hospital often billed Medicare for up to six units of chemotherapy per visit, said lawyers who announced the settlement.