Sutter Health Settles Medicare Overcharge Claims for $90 Million
“California-based hospital operator Sutter Health has agreed to pay $90 million to settle claims that it overcharged the federal government by misrepresenting the health of patients enrolled in privately administered Medicare Advantage plans. The settlement, announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice, resolves a 2015 whistleblower lawsuit brought under the federal False Claims Act by Kathy,” reports Brendan Pierson in Reuters.
“According to Ormsby’s attorneys, it is the largest settlement of an FCA case against a hospital system over alleged Medicare Advantage fraud, and the second-largest Medicare Advantage fraud settlement ever reported overall. This case is an important example of whistleblowers and their lawyers partnering with the government to bring extra expertise and legal firepower to the fight against fraud, Mark Kleiman of Kleiman Rajaram.”