Penalty Amount
$626,759
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $601,759 settlement with American Medical Response of Connecticut (AMR-CT) for overbilling the state Medicaid program by billing for Advanced Life Support services when only Basic Life Support was provided, and even when local fire departments had already provided and billed for those services. AMR-CT also entered a consent agreement with the Department of Public Health requiring it to cease improper billing, comply with reporting requirements for one year, and pay a $25,000 civil penalty.
AMR-CT must cease billing for Advanced Life Support unless it is the recognized provider in the service area or an exception applies, cease fraudulent billing, comply with DPH quarterly reporting and compliance monitoring for one calendar year, and pay a $25,000 civil penalty.
In-house legal teams should review all healthcare service provider agreements, particularly those involving ambulance/emergency medical services and government payors like Medicaid. Focus on clauses defining service levels (e.g., Advanced Life Support vs. Basic Life Support), billing and reimbursement certifications, representations and warranties regarding claim accuracy, compliance with applicable state and federal healthcare laws, audit and monitoring rights, and penalties for false or fraudulent billing. Changes may be needed to require explicit documentation standards for service levels billed, incorporate clear definitions aligned with state responder laws, add mandatory reporting to payors of billing discrepancies, and strengthen indemnification provisions for overpayment recoveries.
Entity
American Medical Response of Connecticut
Also known as: American Medical Response
Industry
Healthcare$625K
Connecticut reached a $625,000 settlement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. over an April 2024 breach in which compromised employee and vendor credentials were used to access internal systems and exfiltrate unencrypted personal information of 58,841 Connecticut residents. The settlement requires Frontier to strengthen its security program, implement specific safeguards and training, and obtain an independent third-party assessment.
$2.6M
Connecticut and New York found that Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its security vendor, XTIUM, failed to use reasonable safeguards, resulting in hackers accessing sensitive personal, medical, and employee information. The companies agreed to pay penalties totaling $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
Connecticut joined a coalition of state attorneys general filing a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings, raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds. The states seek protections for children and consumers if the company’s business or assets are sold or transferred; the filing does not impose a fine or other remedy.
Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA to review how Connecticut public utilities use artificial intelligence, citing potential data privacy and cybersecurity risks, algorithmic errors, and misleading outputs. The petition asks PURA to examine utility AI systems, safeguards, vendors, and data security practices; it does not report a finding of violation or an imposed penalty.
$2.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with RZ Smoke, Inc. over allegations that it distributed and sold high-potency cannabis products without a state license. The stipulated judgment is $2 million, with $375,000 payable to the State and $1.6 million suspended to ensure compliance; the company is barred from specified cannabis activities in Connecticut unless licensed.
$13.7M
Connecticut joined a coalition of states and the federal government in settling allegations that Takeda paid healthcare providers speaker honoraria and provided meals to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, leading to allegedly false claims to government healthcare programs. Takeda agreed to pay $13,670,921 plus accrued interest, with portions allocated to federal and state programs.