Providence agrees to pay $22 million in medical fraud case

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Providence Health & Services Washington will pay $22.6 million to resolve allegations that its Walla Walla hospital fraudulently billed Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs for medically unnecessary neurosurgery procedures. Vanessa R. Waldref, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and Bob Ferguson, the Washington state Attorney General, on Tuesday announced the settlement between Providence, the U.S. and the state of Washington. Waldref’s office says it is the largest-ever health care fraud settlement in eastern Washington. Tuesday’s settlement resolves allegations that Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center in Walla Walla falsely billed Medicare, Washington State Medicaid and other federal health care programs.