A federal whistleblower lawsuit claims that several hospitals owned by Tenet Healthcare in and around Atlanta and on Hilton Head Island paid kickbacks to a clinic, Hispanic Medical Management, to refer it patients, specifically expectant mothers who were in the United States illegally. The Georgia Attorney General has also filed a suit to recover the Medicaid monies that Georgia wrongfully paid to Tenet Healthcare; the South Carolina Attorney General, Republican Mark Wilson, planned no action, apparently unconcerned that taxpayers are being ripped off by a major healthcare corporation. Tenet paid $42 million to settle a Medicare fraud suit in April 2012.
Source: The Island Packet; Healthcare Daily
The paying of kickbacks based on referrals of patients whose bills will be covered either by Medicaid or Medicare is illegal and a form of Medicare or Medicaid fraud. Lexington, Kentucky Medicaid and Medicare fraud lawyer Robert Abell represents whistleblowers to recover monies wrongly paid because of Medicare or Medicaid fraud; contact him at 859-254-7076.
