Dive Brief:
- Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates has disclosed in a recent filing that it has been named in four qui tam lawsuits filed by private individuals, according to Becker's Hospital Review.
- Two of the suits allege that certain HMA hospitals inappropriately admitted patients, then submitting claims to federal health care programs for the treatment of these patients, thereby violating the False Claims Act; two other suits contend that certain HMA hospitals had inappropriate financial relationships with physicians that violated the Stark law and the Anti-Kickback Statute.
- In addition to the suits brought by private individuals, the federal government has advised Health Management Associates that it will get involved in four additional qui tam suits against the hospital giant.
Dive Insight:
With HMA in the midst of being acquired by Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, this isn't a great time for it to be accused of fraud -- not that false claims and anti-kickback charges are a picnic anytime. That being said, HMA's stock doesn't seem to have taken a hit due to the announcement; In other words, Wall Street doesn't seem to alarmed about the situation. One can never be certain, but this seems like something HMA can handle.