Texas-based health system to pay $12 million in suit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An Irving, Texas-based health care system and its hospital in Santa Fe, N.M., will pay $12.2 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit over Medicaid payments.

Federal officials say the settlement resolves allegations that Christus Health and Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center made illegal payments in 2001-2009 to county governments for the state's share of Medicaid payments to the hospital.

A statement released Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office says states and counties generally must use their own money for Medicaid expenses to obtain federal matching funds.

The office says the settlement includes no finding of liability. The federal government joined a 2011 whistleblower lawsuit filed by Diana Stepan, a former Los Alamos County official who died last year. Her estate will receive $2.4 million of the settlement.

Gas driller settles dispute

HARRISBURG, Pa.— Pennsylvania environmental regulators and the state's most active gas driller have reached a settlement on claims the Texas company failed to repair a natural gas well that contaminated groundwater and a stream.

The Department of Environmental Protection had initially pursued a record $8.9 million fine against Range Resources over the methane contamination in Lycoming County.

Settlement documents filed this week do not require Range to pay a penalty, but give the department the right to pursue one in the future. The settlement says Range and the state agency dropped litigation to “focus their limited resources on a technical resolution of the matter.”