DOJ: Covenant Healthcare paid $69M in 2021 false claims settlement
By 
Adrianne Appel2023-03-30T17:58:00
A Michigan hospital system paid $69 million to settle whistleblower allegations it engaged in illegal referral and kickback schemes.
Covenant Healthcare System rented office space to a physician but forgave the rent in exchange for the physician referring Medicare patients to the hospital system in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release Wednesday.
Covenant also allegedly employed physicians, including Mark Adams and Asim Yunus, between 2006 and 2016 who self-referred patients to Covenant in violation of the federal Physician Self-Referral Law. Also known as the Stark Law, the rule aims to prevent doctors from steering Medicare patients to facilities in which they have a financial interest.
Related articles
-
News BriefS.C.-based St. Francis to pay $36.5M in false claims settlement
South Carolina-based healthcare system St. Francis agreed to pay $36.5 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice addressing alleged violations of the False Claims Act, Stark Law, and Anti-Kickback Statute.
-
News BriefSibley Hospital, Johns Hopkins to pay $5M for improper billing
Sibley Hospital and its parent company, Johns Hopkins Health System, agreed to pay $5 million to settle allegations the hospital billed Medicare for services referred by physicians with whom it had a financial relationship.
-
News BriefGenotox Laboratories to pay $5.9M in DOJ kickback settlement
Genotox Laboratories agreed to pay at least $5.9 million to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by paying volume-based commissions to third-party marketers and submitting claims to federal healthcare programs for unnecessary drug tests.
More from Regulatory Enforcement
-
News BriefFTC raises antitrust concerns over $1.57B Circle K deal, orders divestitures
Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has yet to keep up the level of enforcement it had under previous chair Lina Khan. The agency, however, returned to antitrust action in the case of fuel stations, just in time for the July 4th holiday.
-
News BriefJudge reinstates fired CPSC commissioners in latest battle over government cuts
In May, three commissioners for the Consumer Product Safety Commission were abruptly fired by President Donald Trump and sued for their jobs shortly after. A federal judge has ruled that the commissioners should be reinstated, although it’s unclear whether that ruling may itself be reversed.
-
PremiumUK’s Failure to Prevent Fraud law may expose firms to unlimited fines and prosecution, says Moody’s compliance risk expert
Fraud now accounts for around 40% of all crime in the U.K., posing a major problem for banks and consumers. Ted Datta, head of industry practice for financial crime compliance at Moody’s, warns that the risk is growing fast.