U.S. Joins Whistleblower Against Hospital for Medicare Fraud and Physician Kickbacks

The U.S. Department of Justice has joined in a whistleblower action brought under the Federal False Claims Act against Halifax Hospital in Florida alleging it violated The Stark Act. This law prohibits a hospital from billing Medicare for services referred by physicians that have improper financial relationships with the hospital. The U.S. says that Halifax contracts with three neurosurgeons and six medical oncologists were improper because they either paid the doctors more than fair market value or took into consideration the volume or value of the doctors’ referrals. The lawsuit was originally taken by Elin Baklid-Kunz currently employed by Halifax Staffing as the director of physician services, under the False Claims Act. That law allows a whislteblower to receive part of the recovery.