Ambulance company settles federal Medicare claims

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office says an eastern Kentucky ambulance company has agreed to pay almost $1 million to settle a case over Medicare claims.

The federal government had alleged that Lafferty Enterprises, doing business as Trans-Star Ambulance Services, filed fraudulent claims with the federal Medicare program by using an ambulance to transport patients in Floyd County when it "was not medically necessary" from 2006 to 2012.

The Lexington Herald-Leader (http://bit.ly/1Cc5tsl) reports Trans-Star agreed to pay the government $948,000 and will also have to make "substantial internal compliance reforms" and have claims reviewed by a third party for three years.

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Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com

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