Vermont and New Hampshire to Get Part of $550,000 Hospital Settlement

The U.S. Attorney's office in Vermont says Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center will pay more than $550,000 to settle allegations it improperly billed various federal health programs.

Federal health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid recovered over $500,000. More than $21,000 will go to the state of Vermont and more than $8,000 will go to the state of New Hampshire.

The U.S. Attorney's office says the government's investigation arose in 2009 following the Lebanon, N.H., hospital's self-disclosure of improper billing practices by one physician in its neurology department. At that time, it was investigating another billing case brought on by a whistleblower physician. That one was settled for $2.2 million last year.

The latest investigation showed improper billing practices from 2004 through 2008.

Dartmouth Hitchcock denies any liability.

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