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Hospital chain misbilled?
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July 18, 1997: 8:17 a.m. ET
Federal investigators said to find that healthcare firm made false claims
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Investigators have reportedly obtained evidence that employees of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. provided the government with false claim information.
Columbia, the nation's largest for-profit hospital chain, has been the target of an ongoing investigation into allegations that the company inflated hospital costs in order to receive more Medicare money.
Federal investigators in Florida have obtained evidence that hospital executives pumped up those cost reports and indictments are expected in a few months, the New York Times reported Friday.
On Wednesday, law enforcement officials began removing documents from hospitals in six states. Those investigations are still going on and are expected to continue for several days.
Columbia claimed it did not know the details of the investigation and said it submitted reports to the government that it believes were accurate.
Improper cost reporting is not the only thing officials are checking. Investigators are also looking into whether Columbia/HCA hospitals regularly conducted blood tests that were unnecessary for some patients' diagnosis, the Times reported.
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Columbia/HCA
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