Columbia, S.C.-based Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, St, Francis Hospital and St. Francis Physician Services have agreed to pay $36.5 million to resolve allegations that it made illegal kickback payments to surgeons tied to the volume or value of referrals.
St. Francis allegedly caused false claims submissions to Medicare and Tricare because of an unlawful payment structure between the health system and Greenville, S.C.-based Piedmont Orthopedic Associates, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors alleged that St. Francis’ bonus payments to the orthopedic group’s physicians violated both the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute.
The unnamed whistleblower, who filed the case under provisions of the False Claims Act, will receive about $10.2 million of the settlement. The settlement resolves allegations made in the lawsuit and is not an admission of any wrongdoing by St. Francis, Becker’s reports. Read more.
