Oklahoma Ambulance Authority Settles Case Involving False Claims

On June 11, 2018, Comanche County Hospital Authority d/b/a Comanche County Memorial Hospital, (Comanche), Lawton, Oklahoma, entered into a $566,806 settlement agreement with OIG. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that Comanche submitted claims to Medicare for emergency ambulance transportation to destinations such as skilled nursing facilities and patient residences that should have been billed at the lower non-emergency rate. In addition, during the course of OIG's investigation, Comanche discovered and disclosed that it submitted claims to Medicare for emergency ambulance transportation that were not medically reasonable or necessary. Comanche also disclosed that it submitted claims to Medicare for transports where the documentation for the transport was not consistent with the patient's condition, and therefore did not support the documented medical necessity for the transport. OIG's Consolidated Data Analysis Center and Office of Counsel to the Inspector General, represented by Senior Counsels Geoffrey Hymans and Andrea Treese Berlin, collaborated to achieve this settlement.

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