Hospital to pay $41 million to settle fraud claims
King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, KY, will pay nearly $41 million to the federal government to settle fraud claims related to the hospital’s cardiac program.
The hospital faced allegations that it billed Medicare for heart procedures performed on patients who didn’t need them. King’s Daughters issued a statement saying the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. The hospital "made the difficult decision to settle the investigation, rather than continue to drain valuable resources on government allegations related to old cases," according to the statement.
In March, more than 500 former patients of King’s Daughters Medical Center sued the hospital for allegedly performing cardiac procedures they didn’t need. King’s Daughters issued a statement at that time saying the hospital "intends to defend the care provided by our cardiac program, of which we are very proud, and which has been recognized for its patient care and quality outcomes."
