April 22, 2020

Hospital chain Centra Health Inc. and physician group Blue Ridge Ear, Nose, Throat and Plastic Surgery, Inc., will pay a total of $9.35 million to resolve claims that they entered into an improper financial arrangement in violation of the Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Law, and False Claims Act.  The improper agreements included guaranteed physician compensation, physician compensation arrangements that took into account the value of referrals, and financial arrangements with physicians that were not memorialized in a written and executed contract.  A former Blue Ridge ENT physician, who filed a qui tam action regarding the improper arrangements, will receive an undisclosed share of the settlement.  USAO WD VA

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Hospital Fraud, Provider Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,