Livingston Regional Hospital, LLC Agrees To Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Livingston Regional Hospital, LLC, a LifePoint Health Inc. company, has agreed to pay $784,000 to settle allegations that Livingston Regional Hospital violated the False Claims Act, announced United States Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.

The settlement resolves allegations that between July 9, 2015 and October 31, 2015, Livingston Regional Hospital violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing Medicare Part A for inpatient psychiatric care that was not medically necessary.

The allegations resolved by today’s settlement were originally raised in a lawsuit filed against Livingston Regional Hospital by two former employees who brought their claims under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens with knowledge of false claims to bring civil suits on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The whistleblowers will receive $156,800 as their share of the settlement.

This matter was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.  The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah K. Bogni. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

This case is docketed as United States ex rel. Dorothy Griffin and Teresa Long v. Livingston Regional Hospital, LLC and LifePoint Health, Inc., Civil Action No. 2:16-cv-00095 (M.D. Tenn.).