DaVita Will Pay $495 Million to Settle Atlanta Whistle-Blower Case
DaVita HealthCare Partners has announced that it will pay up to $495 million to settle a whistle-blower lawsuit accusing the Denver company of defrauding the federal Medicare program of millions of dollars, reports The Denver Post.
According to the report, the company, which said it does not admit any wrongdoing, has now settled its third whistle-blower lawsuit since 2012, with payouts totaling nearly $1 billion.
The civil suit includes a claim by Dr. Alon J. Vainer and nurse Daniel D. Barbir, who both worked for DaVita. They said they noticed that DaVita was throwing out good medicine that it then billed Medicare and Medicaid for, according to the lawsuit.
L. Lin Wood of Atlanta represents the plaintiffs.