United Hospital in St. Paul, MN, has agreed to pay $428,656 to settle allegations that it overcharged Medicare for patients receiving a spinal procedure called kyphoplasty. United was one of nine hospitals in seven states involved in a $9.4 million settlement announced by the U.S. Department of Justice. Federal officials had accused the hospitals of inflating Medicare billings by requiring patients to be hospitalized for the procedure, even though it can be performed safely and more cheaply on an outpatient basis.
