Home health agency agrees to pay Massachusetts $14 million

A national home health care agency with six locations in Massachusetts has agreed to pay $14 million to settle allegations that it improperly billed the state's Medicaid program.

Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement Tuesday that Centrus Premier Home Care Inc., which does business in the state as Maxim Healthcare Services Inc., billed MassHealth for services that were not eligible for reimbursement under state regulations.

The attorney general's office says claims were improperly submitted to and paid by MassHealth for home health aide services provided through Maxim when nursing or skilled therapy services were not necessary.

Maxim in a statement said it had self-reported the error and concluded it had misinterpreted a regulation.

Maxim operates in Needham, Plymouth, Springfield, Taunton, Wilmington and Worcester.