UCHealth will pay $23 million to settle a federal lawsuit alleging the hospital system fraudulently coded emergency room visits submitted to Medicare and the military health insurance program TRICARE. Department of Justice officials accused UCHealth of using an “automatic coding rule” for ER patients despite knowing the practice didn’t comply with Medicare and TRICARE billing rules, according to a Tuesday news release about the settlement. UCHealth officials deny the allegations and agreed to settle to avoid long and expensive litigation, spokesperson Dan Weaver said in a statement. Related Articles Health | Jefferson County squeezes brakes, rejecting first-of-its-kind bike park with lift access in Conifer Health | CommonSpirit Health to demolish former TTEC HQ and build 42-acre campus Health | Second Wind Fund connects Colorado kids at risk of suicide with accessible mental health care Health | CDC calls for expanded bird flu testing after more dairy worker infections found in Colorado and Michigan Health | Boulder County reports first human case of rare insect-borne disease of 2024 “UCHealth is pleased to see the end of this lengthy and resource-intensive investigation,” Weaver said. “…The settlement allows us to focus our resources on providing excellent patient care.” In a statement, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch said fraudulent billing undermines healthcare programs that are vital to many Coloradans. “We will hold accountable healthcare companies who adopt automatic coding practices that lead to unnecessary and improper billing,” Kirsch said. Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.