— Missouri to receive over $99,000 —
Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster announced that Missouri, along with 49 other states and the federal government, has reached a $256 million settlement with Millennium Health, formerly Millennium Laboratories, to resolve allegations of Medicaid fraud. Missouri’s share of the settlement will be $99,829.
As part of the settlement, Millennium has agreed to pay $227 million to resolve allegations that Millennium systematically billed federal health care programs for excessive and unnecessary urine drug testing from January 1, 2008, through May 20, 2015.
Millennium has also agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to federal health care programs from January 1, 2012, through May 20, 2015, for genetic testing that was performed routinely and without an individualized assessment of need. In addition, Millennium will pay $19.2 million to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to resolve certain administrative actions related to Millennium’s urine drug test billing practices.
The settlement allocates $38.6 million overall to state Medicaid programs. Missouri’s share of that money–$99,829– is based on the number of tests its Medicaid program paid for compared with the number of tests paid for by other settling states.
“This company submitted bills for unreasonable drug and genetic testing over a course of years, diverting millions of dollars from Medicaid,” Koster said. “My office is committed to returning taxpayer funds to Missouri’s Medicaid program to provide healthcare for individuals who otherwise could not afford it.”
The allegations resolved were originally brought in lawsuits filed by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.
Koster encourages individuals to report suspected Medicaid fraud to his office. State law provides that a whistleblower may be entitled to 10 percent of any Medicaid fraud money recovered as a result of their tip. Missourians can report suspected Medicaid provider fraud and abuse through the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Hotline at 800-286-3932 or online at http://ago.mo.gov/divisions/medicaid-provider-fraud.
