Settlement

The previous owner of University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center has agreed to pay the federal government $4.9 million for overbilling the Medicaid and Medicare system by keeping patients in the hospital longer than needed. Catholic Health Initiatives, which recently sold the hospital to University of Maryland Medical System, did not admit to wrongdoing under the settlement announced Thursday. The medical company said in a statement that it wanted to avoid lengthy and costly court proceedings.

The Hyatt Regency Baltimore has settled a federal complaint alleging unfair labor practices, the hotel and a local union said Thursday. The agreement, signed Wednesday, came nine days after a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge began hearing the case. The vast majority of cases before the board ultimately settle. The federal agency's general counsel alleged that Hyatt Regency managers "interrogated employees about their union activities," began "invoking harsh discipline" when employees arrived late to work and fired four workers last year in reaction to their efforts to unionize with labor union Unite Here.

Chemical maker W.R. Grace & Co. said Thursday it will adjust the estimated cost of settling its asbestos-related liabilities to $2 billion from the previous estimate of $1.7 billion. The increase reflects higher estimated values of a common stock warrant and deferred payment obligations to be paid to a trust to compensate personal-injury claimants and property owners under the company's bankruptcy reorganization. The company filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2001, partly as a result of asbestos-related lawsuits filed by residents of Libby, Mont., and others.

The Orioles and their three remaining arbitration-eligible players have officially filed salary numbers for 2013. Closer Jim Johnson, who led the majors in saves with 51, asked for $7.1 million while the Orioles countered with $5.7 million. He is in his third year of arbitration and made $2.625 million last year. Starter Jason Hammel, who was 8-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 20 starts for the Orioles last year, asked for $8.25 million and the Orioles countered with $5.7 million. He is in his fourth year of arbitration and made $4.75 million last year.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings is not happy that the Federal Reserve Board and the Office of the Comptroller of Currency settled with 10 mortgage servicers this week, putting an end to the Independent Foreclosure Review that the government required the firms to organize. “I am deeply disappointed that the OCC and the Federal Reserve finalized this settlement and effectively terminated the Independent Foreclosure Review process before providing Congress answers to serious questions about how this settlement amount was determined, who these funds will go to, and what will happen to other families who were abused by these mortgage servicing companies, but have not yet had their cases reviewed,” said Cummings, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in a statement following the settlement announcement Monday.

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and officials from the Department of Housing and Community Development on Thursday awarded $6.2 million from the national mortgage settlement to nine legal aid groups in order to expand the availability of low-cost and pro bono legal services to Maryland homeowners facing foreclosure. Recently, DHCD has been setting aside about $1 milllion per year for foreclosure legal services, so the settlement funds greatly expand available financing, said Carol A. Gilbert, a DHCD assistant secretary.

Drug company Amgen Inc. will pay the Maryland Medicaid system $856,474 to settle allegations that it illegally marketed and priced drugs used to treat anemia, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. The settlement, announced Friday by Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, is part of a $612 million deal Illinois-based Amgen made with the federal government and several other states. As part of the settlement, Amgen's future marketing practices will also be monitored by the federal government.

A 19-year-old Baltimore man, who three years ago accused three city police officers of abducting him and leaving him in a Howard County park, was cleared of an attempted murder charge Wednesday and given a suspended sentence on drug charges.  In May 2009, when he was 15 years old, Michael B. Johnson  Jr. was picked up by the officers and left in the rain without shoes or a cell phone at Patapsco Valley State Park. The officers were charged a year later with kidnapping and related charges.

The title of Teacher of the Year for Harford County was given to Christina O'Neill, Bel Air Middle School language arts teacher. O'Neill was chosen from the more than 3,200 teachers in the county. Election Day for the Harford County presidential primary had a low turnout. Only about 2.5 percent of the county's 126,00 registered voters bothered out to cast their votes. Main Street in Bel Air hosted the fourth annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes. Local men donned their finest high heels to raise money for SARC.

Deatrice S. Besong says it feels like winning the lottery: Her mortgage servicer recently agreed to reduce her loan by $249,000 next year, saving her $300 a month and erasing the debt overhang that has her owing far more than her house is worth. "It's a great feeling — it's a feeling of relief," said Besong, who lives in Upper Marlboro in Prince George's County. Her principal reduction comes courtesy of the national mortgage settlement, a deal struck by state attorneys general, the federal government and the country's five largest loan servicers after allegations of widespread servicing and foreclosure misdeeds.