JOPLIN, MO- Earlier this year, discrepancies were discovered in office-based physician compensation at Freeman Health System in Joplin. Hospital administrators then self-reported the issue to the appropriate federal agency. Freeman CEO and president Gary Duncan says this issue is a civil matter, and no criminal violations were committed. He says this does not effect how patients are treated, their relationship with physicians, or how they are billed. The issue is the method used to compensate some physicians. The review did not reveal any situations where the federal government was over billed, or billed for services not performed. Duncan says they are working with federal officials to correct their procedures.