U.S. Won’t Charge Employees With Fraud

The U.S. attorney’s office in Miami won’t pursue allegations of Medicare fraud against five current or former employees of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. and Olsten Corp., sources close to the investigation say. The decision, which government attorneys disclosed earlier this month to lawyers representing the employees, comes after more than 18 months of investigation into allegations of kickbacks in the firms’ home health-care operations. The investigation into Columbia/HCA’s actions continues, the sources said. Olsten earlier this year agreed to pay a $61-million fine and a subsidiary agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and violation of federal anti-kickback laws. Columbia/HCA could pay at least $200 million in a partial settlement of Medicare fraud charges against it as early as next month, according to people familiar with the investigation. On the NYSE, shares of Nashville-based Columbia/HCA rose 50 cents to close at $29.31, while shares of Melville, N.Y.-based Olsten rose 13 cents to close at $11.31.