Tenet says it will pay $43M to settle Medicare billing inquiry

Hospital operator Tenet Healthcare Corp. has agreed to pay $42.8 million to resolve allegations it overbilled Medicare for the treatment of patients who needed intense inpatient rehabilitation. The Dallas company said Tuesday that the settlement resolves inquiries by the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The Justice Department said Tenet billed Medicare for patients who did not meet the standards for admission to inpatient rehab facilities. The Justice Department said it was the single largest U.S. recovery to date involving inappropriate inpatient rehab admissions