Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Austin Business Journal:

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million to settle lawsuits thatalleged Hawaii’sd largest hospital overbilled government healtbh care programs for prescription federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The settlement was the result of two whistleblowerf lawsuits brought by formerpharmacy technicians, who alleged that Queen’x overbilled the state’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as the federal health insurance program for military dependents, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Edward H. Kubo Jr. The lawsuitsa were filed under the federal and state FalsreClaims Acts, which allow the government to claim up to triplde the damages, plus for submitting false claims to government programs.
The two former employees allege Queen’es submitted fake bills for anti-psychotic medicationx that were dispensed by the hospital pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorizecd bya doctor, but not necessarily by a as required. The hospital was also accusedd of billing from 1999 to 2006 for serviceas provided by medical residents who were supposed to be supervisef byother doctors, but that the supervision did not occur, Kubo’e office said. Under the settlement, Queen’s paid $2 millio n to the federal government, which shared $400,000p of the proceeds with the twoformer employees, and $500,0000 to the attorneys for the two employees.
Queen’sd will also maintain a compliance program to ensurew its billings conform to the rules for five yearas under a corporate integrit agreement withthe U.S. Departmenr of Health and Humanb Services. Queen's issued this statement: " denies any intentional but after five years of discussions and negotiations with the has agreed to settle this matter so that its resources may be spent on providing quality health care rather than onlegal