Stein Hospice pays $480K settlement

SANDUSKY — A Sandusky-based hospice care provider paid a settlement to the federal government to resolve allegations it filed inappropriate Medicare claims. The settlement agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Stein Hospice, which was reached earlier this year, was announced in a justice department end-of-year news release. Prior to merging with Hospice of the Western Reserve in April, Stein Hospice Service, Inc. agreed to pay just under $480,000 to settle "79 false claims" for reimbursement it submitted to the Medicare program, the settlement agreement states. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General had asserted that the 79 claims Stein made between July 2012 and July 2016 were either for patients ineligible for hospice care or were reimbursed at higher rates for levels of hospice care that were not medically necessary, according to the settlement agreement. By agreeing to the payout, Stein did not admit liability, the agreement states. Of the approximately $480,000 settlement amount, more than $179,000 was marked as restitution. That amounts to less than 1% of the more than $86 million Medicare paid Stein between 2012 and 2015, according to tax filings the nonprofit made to the Internal Revenue Service. "The decision regarding the settlement was approved and paid by the Stein Hospice Board prior to the acquisition by Hospice of the Western Reserve in April 2022," said Bill Finn, president and CEO of Hospice of the Western Reserve. "As we move forward through 2023 and beyond, we are eager to provide the best quality care for our patients and families. We are incredibly grateful for the support of this community." The Stein Hospice settlement contributed to more than $22 million in funds recovered by the U.S. Attorney's Office's Northern Ohio district in the 2022 fiscal year, the release states. "These figures represent monies returned to the United States through the hard work and outstanding effort of our employees and law enforcement partners," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler said. "We will always seek to protect the financial interests of the U.S. and victims in resolving these cases."