Hospital refutes alleged billing fraud, whistleblower retaliation

Wyoming Medical Center on Friday filed a court document denying a former employee's accusations that hospital clerks altered patient records and submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for canceled surgeries, reported The Billings Gazette.

In the 2007 whistleblower lawsuit, ex-employee Gale Bryden also claimed the hospital fired her for informing federal officials of the alleged billing fraud.

However, the 21-page response to the lawsuit claims Bryden was not fired as retaliation. The hospital highlighted several reasons for the firing, including Bryden's alleged "inability to participate as a team player," according to the response, the article noted.

In a hospital statement, Wyoming Medical Center strongly denied any intentional wrongdoing. It maintains that any billing errors were accidental, noted the Gazette.

To learn more:
- read the Billings Gazette article
- here's the hospital statement