Baptist Health Medical Center - North Little Rock has agreed to pay $2.7 million in a settlement agreement with the U.S. Government for submitting improper Medicare claims, U.S. Attorney Christopher Thyer announced Friday.
The Department of Health and Human Services found that the hospital submitted improper short-stay inpatient claims from Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2009, Thyer said in a news release.
The claims stemmed from improper orders to convert patients from outpatient to inpatient status; improper admission orders that didn't come from a physician; and improper orders for inpatient status following scheduled outpatient procedures, the release states.
The agreement, which releases Baptist Health Medical Center - North Little Rock from its exclusion liability under the Social Security Act, requires the hospital to enter into a five-year corporate integrity agreement, Thyer said.
As part of that agreement, the North Little Rock hospital and Baptist Health Medical Center - Little Rock will be subject to independent annual claims reviews, the release states.