Judge Orders HCA to Pay $745 Million
A federal judge gave the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain five days to pay the government more than $745 million for defrauding federal health- care programs.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said the government would then have about three weeks to pay whistle-blowers more than $65 million of the money it collects from HCA Inc.
The company, based in Nashville, owes the government the money as part of a settlement the two sides reached last year.
HCA agreed to plead guilty to defrauding government health- care programs and said it would pay more than $840 million in criminal fines, civil penalties and damages.
The company has paid $95.3 million in criminal fines, but it was waiting for Lamberth’s orders before paying the $745 million in civil penalties. HCA fell 81 cents to close at $43.59 on the NYSE.
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