CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER

Phoenix Hospital, Two Doctors' Groups to Pay U.s. $6.7 Million to Settle False Claims Act Case
21 Corporate Crime Reporter 44, November 5, 2007

Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix and two groups of doctors associated with the health care facility will pay the United States $6,720,412 to settle allegations that they improperly billed Medicare for non-covered procedures in which artificial graft devices were used to treat patients with aortic aneurisms.

Some of the procedures were not covered for reimbursement by Medicare because they involved devices that were considered experimental by Medicare at the time the procedures were performed.

In other cases, the procedures did not comply with approved protocols for devices that were in clinical trials.
Arizona Heart Hospital will pay $5,820,412 in one settlement.

Two other entities, Arizona Heart Institute and AHI Cardiovascular Surgeons Ltd., have paid the remaining $900,000.

“Limited Medicare dollars should not be spent on procedures that remain experimental," said Peter D. Keisler, Acting Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for the Department's Civil Division. “We will continue to be vigilant to keep providers from attempting to circumvent the requirements of federal law.”


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