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HEALTHCARE
NEWS
Healthcare
accounted for
bigger portion of
2018 DOJ false
claims recoveries
By Molly Gamble
O
f the $2.8 billion the Department of
Justice recovered from False Claims
Act cases in 2018, $2.5 billion in-
volved the healthcare industry, according to
the department's year-end recap.
In 2017 the department recovered $3.7 billion in
False Claims Act settlements and judgments, with
$2.4 billion involving the healthcare industry.
e largest 2018 healthcare-related recoveries
stem from the drug and medical device industry,
including a $582 million federal settlement paid
by AmerisourceBergen Corporation. e pay-
ment resolved allegations that the Chesterbrook,
Pa.-based drug wholesaler illegally distributed
adulterated and misbranded drugs, including sy-
ringes for cancer patients, and caused numerous
false claims to be submitted to Medicaid for un-
approved, defective or compromised new drugs.
Several substantial 2018 recoveries involve
healthcare providers, including the $270 mil-
lion payment from HealthCare Partners Hold-
ings, doing business as DaVita Medical Hold-
ings. e payment resolved False Claims Act
liability for providing incorrect diagnosis codes
that caused its Medicare Advantage Organiza-
tions to receive inflated Medicare payments.
Also worth noting is the case involving for-
mer Naples, Fla.-based hospital chain Health
Management Associates, which paid over $216
million in 2018 to resolve civil allegations that
it billed government healthcare programs for
costly inpatient services that should have been
billed as observation or outpatient services, paid
illegal remuneration to physicians in return for
patient referrals to HMA hospitals and inflated
claims for emergency department facility fees.
is marks the ninth consecutive year that the
DOJ's civil healthcare fraud settlements and
judgments exceed $2 billion. Recoveries in the
$2.5 billion total reflect only federal losses, but
the DOJ was instrumental in recovering addi-
tional millions for state Medicaid programs in
many cases. n
Walmart looks to add health clinics in its
parking lots
By Ayla Ellison
W
almart stores in several states are transforming extra parking lot
space into "town centers," some of which could include health
clinics, according to Business Insider.
"The Walmart Town Center concept is an exciting approach to how we serve
our customers by moving beyond the store's four walls and reimagining
how we use our unique assets — our existing stores and the surrounding
land — to transform how customers experience Walmart," a Walmart spokes-
person told Business Insider.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that Walmart is evaluating whether
to add health clinics in some of the new "town centers."
"We envision a more robust and dynamic shopping experience that com-
bines entertainment venues, curated local food vendors, health and fitness
services as well as recreational opportunities in a way that connects and en-
gages with the community," a Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider.
Walmart has established its position as a one-stop shop, but it may be rede-
fining what that means by surrounding its stores with a variety of comple-
mentary tenants, according to the report. n
9 physician specialties see jump in
compensation
By Megan Knowles
P
hysicians in nine specialties
saw increases in total cash
compensation from 2017
to 2018, according to a survey
from SullivanCotter.
The survey includes data on nearly
167,000 individual physicians and
advanced practice providers, with
nearly 750 participating hospitals,
health systems and medical groups.
Reported total cash compensation
generally increased from 2017-18,
averaging 1 percent to 4 percent.
Out of 10 specialties listed, surgery
(general) was the only specialty that
did not see an increase in total cash
compensation.
Here is the percent change from
2017-18 in total cash compensation
for the nine other specialties in the
survey:
1. Cardiology (general): 4.4 percent
increase
2. Emergency medicine: 4.3 per-
cent increase
3. Pediatrics (general): 3.7 percent
increase
4. Orthopedic surgery (general): 3.2
percent increase
5. Hospitalist: 2.2 percent increase
6. Internal medicine: 2.1 percent in-
crease
7. Family medicine: 2 percent
8. Psychiatry (general): 1.4 percent
increase
9. Obstetrics and gynecology: 1.4
percent increase n
