On August 2, 2018, DOJ announced that Detroit-based Beaumont Health would pay $84 million to settle claims that between August 31, 2004, and January 31, 2012, its arrangements with eight physicians violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the Stark Law by providing improper remuneration in the form of free or below-market value office space and employees and providing them with compensation in excess of fair market value.  The settlement agreement also settles claims that from 2006 to 2012, Beaumont misrepresented that one of its CT radiology centers qualified as an outpatient department of the hospital.  As part of the settlement, Beaumont is entering into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement, during which time its referral arrangements will be reviewed by an independent review organization.
Continue Reading Detroit Health System Pays $84 Million to Settle AKS/Stark Claims

Physician employment arrangements with hospitals have remained a significant area of regulatory scrutiny in recent months with the announcement of several high profile settlements and decisions in key FCA cases involving Stark and AKS-related issues.

In July 2016, DOJ announced a $17 million settlement in U.S. ex rel. Hammett v. Lexington County Health Services District.  The lawsuit resolved allegations that Lexington County Health Services District, Inc. d/b/a Lexington Medical Center (LMC) in West Columbia, South Carolina violated the Stark Law and FCA by acquiring physician practices and employing physicians on terms that were in excess of fair market value and on terms that were not commercially reasonable.Continue Reading FCA Issues to Watch: FCA Claims Concerning Physician Compensation

On July 28, 2016, the Department of Justice announced a $17 million settlement in the matter of United States ex rel. Hammett v. Lexington County Health Services District, Case No. 3:14-cv-03653 (D. S.C.).1 The lawsuit resolved allegations that Lexington County Health Services District, Inc. d/b/a Lexington Medical Center (“LMC”) in West Columbia, SC violated the Stark Law and False Claims Act by acquiring physician practices or employing twenty-eight (28) physicians on terms that were in excess of fair market value and on terms that were not commercially reasonable.

The case was filed on September 15, 2014, and DOJ declined to intervene on September 16, 2015. Relator then continued with the case, resulting in the recently announced settlement.  As part of the settlement, LMC also entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.Continue Reading SC Hospital Pays $17 Million to Resolve FCA Claims of Improper Physician Employment Relationships

On October 16, 2015, Tuomey Healthcare agreed to pay more than $74 million to resolve a $237 million judgment in a long-standing FCA matter that had threatened to bankrupt the nonprofit hospital. The action, styled U.S. ex rel. Drakeford v. Tuomey Healthcare Systems, Inc., No. 05-2858 (D.S.C.), involved FCA allegations that Tuomey employed and

What do the recent multimillion dollar FCA settlements tell healthcare providers about physician compensation arrangements? Standing alone, these settlements are cautionary examples of arrangements that may subject hospitals and physicians to increased scrutiny. These settlements, however, come on the heels of the recent OIG fraud alert – “Physician Compensation Arrangements May Result in Significant Liability,”

In a welcomed move, CMS has proposed changes to the federal physician self-referral law (Stark Law) designed to improve consistency and interpretability and alleviate the number of technical violations leading to self-disclosures. This move is in stark (pun-intended) contrast to the stringent interpretation of the Stark Law by the Fourth Circuit in its decision in