Spencer chiropractor settles Medicaid false claims for over $62,000 

CEDAR RAPIDS - A Spencer chiropractor who improperly billed Medicaid by performing treatment not covered by the federal program has agreed to pay $62,349 to resolve False Claims Act allegations, according to a settlement filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday. Elizabeth Kressin improperly billed Medicaid for medically unnecessary chiropractic procedures and for the treatment of conditions not allowed by the program including bed wetting, colic and ear infections, the settlement shows.

The government alleged that Kressin submitted the improper claims from January 1, 2008 through June 30, 2015, according to the settlement. The agreement for settlement is not an admission or judicial determination of liability.

'The civil False Claims Act was created to serve as a tool for combating fraud, waste and abuse in federally funded programs,” U.S. Attorney Kevin Techau said Thursday. Techau noted that this case puts providers on notice and sends the message that health care providers must comply with all state and federal regulations when billing programs like this or 'they will face consequences.”

The allegations resolved by the settlement arose from an investigation led by the Department of Health and Human Resources and initiated by the State of Iowa's Medicaid Program Integrity Unit.