Badge of the Arizona Department of Corrections.
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry announced a new partnership with a health care provider that has been accused in the past of submitting false claims to the federal government.
NaphCare agreed to pay about $700,000 last year to settle the allegations. The federal government alleged that the private health care provider charged for higher-level services than it provided.
An investigation from WBUR in Boston also found that the company avoided necessary hospital trips in the Boston area, though it did incur penalties for going over a cap on hospital visits set by the county.
It also showed that the county sheriff’s department charged NaphCare $2.4 million in penalty fees for inadequate staffing.
The new deal between the Department of Corrections and NaphCare comes during an ongoing lawsuit over allegations that the department and contracted health care provider Centurion of Arizona provided unconstitutional levels of health care.
NaphCare already provides health care services to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and in 31 other states.
It is slated to provide health care at ten Arizona State Prison Complexes.
A spokesperson for NaphCare declined an interview for this story.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.