Piedmont Healthcare — owner of Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville — in federal court on June 25 agreed to pay a $16 million settlement to resolve false claims allegations dealing with Medicare and Medicaid billing.
U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak for the Northern District of Georgia said Piedmont Healthcare agreed to pay $16 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare and Medicaid for procedures at the more expensive inpatient level of care instead of the less costly outpatient or observation level of care.
Pak said the settlement also resolves allegations that Piedmont paid a commercially unreasonable and above fair market value to acquire Atlanta Cardiology Group in 2007 in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
