SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois, has agreed to pay approximately $2.82 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for medically unnecessary cardiac catheterization procedures performed by a physician who no longer practices in the Central District of Illinois. Today’s settlement resulted from a voluntary disclosure by Blessing Hospital.
The settlement will be apportioned as follows: the United States will receive nearly $2.59 million, the State of Illinois will receive approximately $225,000, and the States of Iowa and Missouri will receive the remainder. The settlement resolves allegations that Blessing Hospital obtained payments from Medicare and Medicaid for the facility component of cardiac catheterization procedures performed between August 1, 2012, and August 30, 2018, in which the physician implanted medically unnecessary coronary arterial stents.
“Blessing Hospital made the difficult and correct decision to come forward,” said Acting United States Attorney Douglas J. Quivey for the Central District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously investigate healthcare fraud and protect taxpayer dollars, and cooperation from healthcare providers like Blessing Hospital goes a long way in supporting that mission.”