Cigna to pay $172M to resolve Medicare overpayment claims (CI)

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) has agreed to pay $172M to settle allegations that it submitted inaccurate and deceptive analysis details about its Medicare Benefit sufferers with a purpose to improve its funds from Medicare.

The settlement additionally requires Cigna to enter right into a five-year company integrity settlement with the Workplace of the Inspector Basic of the US Division of Well being and Human Providers, the company that oversees the Medicare program.

Cigna had been accused by the federal authorities of violating the False Claims Act by submitting and failing to withdraw “inaccurate and untruthful analysis codes” for its Medicare Benefit prospects with a purpose to safe larger funds from the federal government’s Medicare program, in accordance with a press release issued by the Division of Justice on Saturday.

Below the company integrity settlement, Cigna will probably be required to implement varied accountability and auditing measures, along with conducting annual threat assessments. Cigna’s administration crew and board of administrators can even be required to certify Cigna’s compliance measures on an annual foundation, the Justice Division stated.

The Justice Division added that the claims have been allegations solely and that there had been no willpower of legal responsibility.

“The agreements totally resolve long-running authorized issues, enabling us to focus our sources on all these we serve and avoiding the uncertainty and additional expense of protracted litigation,” Cigna Healthcare’s president of US authorities enterprise, Chris DeRosa, stated in a press release issued late Friday.