Attorneys have ordered Tenet Healthcare Corporation and its Southern California hospital Desert Regional Medical Center to pay $1.41 million for the allegations of implanting unnecessary cardiac monitors in patients.
According to the lawsuit filed by the former hospital employee, Tenet and Desert Regional violated the federal False Claims Act.
The lawsuit claimed that the medical center unnecessarily implanted cardiac monitors known as loop recorders in patients between 2014 and 2017 at the hospital in Palm Springs. The hospital even charged fees for the use of the recorders.
The employee will receive about $240,000 as his share of the government’s recovery.
The lawsuit alleged the medical center charged Medicare after cardiologists unnecessarily implanted cardiac monitors commonly known as loop recorders in patients between 2014 and 2017 at the hospital in Palm Springs. Medicare only reimburses services and treatments that are reasonable and medically necessary.
“Invasive medical procedures, such as implanting heart monitors, are not without risk,” said a representative from the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Therefore, when these procedures are medically unnecessary, as contended in this case, people in government health programs are put at needless peril, and taxpayers end up with the bill.
The claims resolved by the agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability, the Justice Department statement said.
Tenet acknowledged it settled the lawsuit “related to a portion of cardiac loop recorder devices implanted from 2014 to 2017” at Desert Regional Medical Center.
