Florida Hospital District Settles False Claims Act Allegations for $69.5 Million

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a $69.5 million settlement with the North Broward Hospital District (the “District”) arising out of allegations that the District violated the federal Stark law and False Claims Act by entering into improper financial relationships with employed physicians.

The lawsuit alleged that the District provided compensation to nine employed physicians that exceeded fair market value for the physicians’ services, and instead rewarded the physicians for their referrals of patients to the District. The compensation arrangements were alleged to violate the federal Stark law, which prohibits physician referrals of Medicare and Medicaid services to entities with which the physician has a financial relationship, unless an exception applies. Stark exceptions related to physician compensation and employment arrangements require, in addition to other requirements, that the physician’s compensation is consistent with fair market value and not determined in a manner that takes into account the volume or value of the physician’s referrals. By submitting claims pursuant to referrals that violated the Stark law, the District also submitted claims in violation of the False Claims Act.

The lawsuit against the District was originally filed by a whistleblower pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private individuals to sue on behalf of the government and share in the recovery. The whistleblower in this case brought the lawsuit after the District offered to employ him under terms that he believed may violate the Stark law. The DOJ announced that the whistleblower will receive over $12 million for his role in the case. The DOJ also announced that the recovery marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which is a partnership between the U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Resources that has been instrumental in the government’s recovery of $16 billion from fraud in the federal health care programs since 2009.

Wachler & Associates represents healthcare providers nationwide in a variety of health law matters, including compliance with the federal Stark law, Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), and False Claims Act, as well as state laws governing healthcare fraud and abuse. Our attorneys have widespread experience structuring physician compensation arrangements to comply with Stark law exceptions, AKS safe harbors, and other regulatory requirements. If you or your health care entity have any questions related to healthcare fraud and abuse laws, or healthcare regulatory compliance in general, please contact an experienced healthcare attorney at (248) 544-0888 or via email at wapc@wachler.com. You may also subscribe to our health law blog by adding your email at the top right of this page.