National Medical-SEC Settlement OKd : Health care: The hospital company had agreed to pay $379 million in connection with fraud charges.

National Medical Enterprises said Tuesday that a federal judge approved an agreement to settle federal securities fraud charges involving activities at the company’s psychiatric and substance-abuse facilities.

The agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission was part of broad negotiations between NME and the federal government. The company last month pleaded guilty to eight federal criminal counts and agreed to pay $379 million in fines and restitution.

The SEC had accused NME of making false statements in required federal filings and annual reports from 1990 through late 1992.

The SEC alleged that the company misled investors by improperly recording its sales and profits and by failing to disclose that its businesses “were subject to material risks” arising from practices at some of its psychiatric and substance-abuse facilities.

“NME knew or recklessly disregarded the likelihood that, as a result of these practices, a substantial portion of insurance billings” from those facilities could be the subjects of fraud claims from private insurers and the federal government, the SEC said.

The settlement, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, includes no additional financial penalties against the Santa Monica-based hospital company. In agreeing to the settlement, NME neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing.

Colleen P. Mahoney, an SEC attorney, said the agency is continuing its investigation of the NME case but that the settlement completes its action against the company.

In announcing the record settlement with NME last month, Justice Department officials said the government would continue to investigate NME officials, doctors and sources of patient referrals involved in the fraud.