Healthcare tops lists of False Claims Act violations

Health care fraud topped the list of federal crackdowns this year under the False Claims Act, accounting for more than half of $3.5 billion in settlements and judgments. The federal government recovered $1.9 billion to settle claims against companies and people charged with providing unnecessary or inadequate care, paying kickbacks to health care providers, or overcharging for goods and services paid for by Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs. The settlements were for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Hospitals were involved in nearly $330 million of settlements and judgments, led by a massive settlement by 457 hospitals in 43 states related to cardiac devices that were implanted in Medicare patients in violation of Medicare billing rules.