MM Curator summary
[ MM Curator Summary]: The Empower story gets deeper.
The article below has been highlighted and summarized by our research team. It is provided here for member convenience as part of our Curator service.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced Tuesday that Empower Healthcare Solutions, LLC will pay Medicaid almost $8 million in civil penalties and additional reconciliation payments.
According to Rutledge, the false claims settlement was based on a joint investigation that was initiated after questions were raised about how Empower was reporting expenses in 2020.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit found that Empower had improperly reported over $10 million dollars, officials said.
Empower maintains that the improper reporting was unintentional but did agree to modify its reporting and pay the state of Arkansas $1 million in civil penalties and costs, the attorney general’s office explained.
Officials said in addition to the $1 million Empower agreed to pay, the adjustments to its report of expenses in 2020 resulted in the company owing the Arkansas Medicaid Program more than $6 million dollars. The combined recovery from the settlement is $7,983,511.
“Over the past seven years, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has obtained 155 convictions and over $43 Million in monetary compensation for the people of Arkansas,” Rutledge said.
To report Medicaid fraud or false claims call the Medicaid fraud hotline at 866-810-0016.