Hilton Head Hospital allegedly paid kickbacks to an island clinic that directed expectant mothers living in the U.S. illegally to the hospital as way to increase revenue from Medicaid, according to a recently unsealed federal whistle-blower lawsuit. The lawsuit names Hilton Head Hospital as a defendant, saying that a Medicaid fraud scheme at several hospitals in the Atlanta area also involved the island hospital. Georgia has filed a lawsuit that parallels the federal suit and seeks to recover Medicaid money funneled through the state. A spokesman for S.C. Attorney General's Office said Thursday it was unaware of the federal lawsuit and has no plans for action against Hilton Head Hospital.
