Des Moines Durable Medical Equipment Company to Pay $189,061.90 to Resolve Overbilling Allegations Related to Medicaid Recipients

DES MOINES, Iowa – Catholic Health Initiatives—Health at Home d/b/a Mercy Respiratory Care and Med Supply (CHI-MRC), a supplier of durable medical equipment in Des Moines, has agreed to pay $189,061.90 to the United States to resolve allegations it overbilled the State of Iowa’s Medicaid program for purchases of durable medical equipment.

The settlement resolves claims that, from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, CHI-MRC improperly billed Medicaid for durable medical equipment purchases by continuing to charge for the equipment after receiving full payment for the equipment’s purchase price.

“Our office will aggressively pursue overpayment by Medicaid to providers, including providers of durable medical equipment, to ensure providers comply with state and federal regulations and taxpayers do not pay the bill for excessive expenses,” said Marc Krickbaum, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. “This recovery sends the message to health care providers there will be consequences if they fail to comply with state and federal regulations. We also note and appreciate the provider’s cooperation throughout the investigation.”

This investigation was initiated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa with the assistance of the State of Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.