Hospitals failed to pass along millions in credits to Medicare

U.S. hospitals have held onto millions of dollars in warranty credits from medical manufacturers that should have been sent to Medicare, according to the latest audit of federal payments related to recalled and defective heart devices.

In a report out last week, the Medicare inspector general’s office concludes that 210 hospitals failed to report a total of $4.4 million in manufacturer warranty credits that should have been passed along to the government insurance program.

Auditors examined 296 surgeries to replace problematic pacemakers, defibrillators and leads in Medicare beneficiaries and found that none was properly billed for by the hospitals.

For example, Medicare paid one unidentified hospital $28,779 to replace a defibrillator that was removed from a patient following a product recall.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/report-hospitals-failed-to-pass-along-millions-in-credits-to-medicare/477331123/