TENET HEALTHCARE PAYS $42.75 MILLION TO U.S. IN WHISTLEBLOWER CASE

Tenet Healthcare Corporation has agreed to pay the United States $42.75 Million for violations of the False Claims Act by overbilling the Medicare program the Justice Department announced today. The settlement relates to inpatient rehabilitaton facilities (IRF’s) which Tenet operates around the nation. IRF’s are for patients who need an intense rehab program requiring a multidisciplinary team and closer medical supervision. Medicare pays IRF’s at a higher rate for rehab than in other settings. The Department of Justice said that Tenet billed for many patients who were not eligible for IRF’s.