ATLANTA – Three anesthesia providers and several Georgia outpatient surgery centers, as well as their physician-owners and an administrator, agreed to pay more than $28 million to resolve allegations that they entered into kickback arrangements by paying and receiving payments for medications, supplies, equipment and labor as well as free staffing in exchange for the referral of patients.
“A physician’s health care decisions should be based solely on what is in the patient’s best interest, not what increases the physician’s bottom line,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “There are significant consequences for healthcare providers who put their own financial well-being ahead of the well-being of their patients.”
“Paying or receiving kickbacks to secure taxpayer-funded healthcare payments – as alleged in this case – is illegal and corrupts the federal health care system,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue to work diligently with our State and Federal law enforcement partners to protect government health programs and those they serve.”
“Medical providers who pay out or take kickback payments for referrals are taking advantage of patients and taxpayer funded healthcare programs,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is proud of the role it played in this settlement and will continue to provide investigative assets...
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