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Our team of Kentucky False Claims Act lawyers would like to advise that The New York Times recently reported through contributors Julie Creswell and Reed Abelson that a hospital chain has been said to scheme to inflate its bills in violation of Federal law.  Health Management Associates is a for-profit hospital chain based in Naples, Florida, which kept tabs on an internal strategy that regulators and others say was intended to increase admissions, regardless of whether a patient needed hospital care, and pressure the doctors who worked at the hospital.  This month the United States Department of Justice said it had joined eight separate whistleblower lawsuits against H.P.M.A. in six states.

The lawsuits describe a wide ranging strategy, including billing software system fraud, financial incentives, and threats.  Those accusations include some against former Chief Executive Officers, who many of the whistleblowers point to as driving the strategy of fraud.  HMA is not the only hospital chain currently being investigated, as the New York Times reported that federal regulators have multiple investigations currently pending against other questionable hospital admissions, procedures and billings, including the country’s largest hospital chain, HCA.  Community Health Systems, based out of Franklin, Tennessee, sent its former Chief Executive in 2008 to HMA, and currently faces similar accusations that it inappropriately increased admissions to enhance the bottom line.

HMA also faces shareholder lawsuits and a federal securities investigation.  The New York Times points out a disappointing piece of evidence, that being that many companies consider false claims settlements to be a slap on the wrist and merely a cost of doing business when such settlements run only into the tens of millions of dollars.  The point is well made that a company should be punished with a $500 million dollar or more fine to serve as a deterrent to future conduct.  Only time will tell if such large hundred million plus settlements in the False Claims Act could truly serve as a deterrent to the widespread fraud that currently presides across the country.

Our firm has a team of whistleblower lawyers that want to help you with potential claims.  Whether it relates to appropriate medical services provided, up charging of medical products, billing fraud, governmental contract fraud including for disadvantaged or minority business enterprise, or more, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

If you have confidential information about a fraud against the government in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas or another state, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

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We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

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Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.