In a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) – Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, calls on HHS to investigate HCA’s emergency department admissions practices based on allegations of Medicare fraud. Read the Congressman’s Tweet announcement.
Allegations were first raised by an SEIU analysis of federal data that links alleged unnecessary ED admissions to $1.8 billion in potential Medicare fraud. Access details of the report.
Pascrell also sent a letter to HCA CEO Sam Hazen calling on the healthcare giant to address allegations and share details of HCA policies that may incentivize over-admissions, reports Axios.
In 2003, HCA paid $1.7 billion to the Justice Department to settle civil and criminal charges pertaining to Medicare fraud – at the time, the biggest health care fraud case ever settled in U.S. history.
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