The U.S. Department of Justice is asking Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, Fla., to pay up to $600 million in damages and penalties in a whistleblower lawsuit alleging Medicare fraud and kickbacks, according to a Daytona Beach News-Journal report.
The lawsuit, brought by Halifax Health's director of physician services in 2009, accuses the public system of inappropriately admitting patients, billing Medicare for their services and having financial relationships with physicians in violation of federal anti-kickback laws.
The DOJ joined the case in 2011, supporting some of the allegations, according to the report.
The DOJ has filed a motion for partial summary judgment last week, asking Halifax Health for $102.8 million in damages and another $250 million to $500 million in penalties, according to the report.
The main purpose of summary judgment is to avoid unnecessary trials. The procedure may also simplify a trial when partial summary judgment dispenses with certain issues or claims.
Halifax Health denies all of the allegations. It filed its own legal briefs last week asking for summary judgment in its favor, according to the report.
The case is set for trial in November.
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The lawsuit, brought by Halifax Health's director of physician services in 2009, accuses the public system of inappropriately admitting patients, billing Medicare for their services and having financial relationships with physicians in violation of federal anti-kickback laws.
The DOJ joined the case in 2011, supporting some of the allegations, according to the report.
The DOJ has filed a motion for partial summary judgment last week, asking Halifax Health for $102.8 million in damages and another $250 million to $500 million in penalties, according to the report.
The main purpose of summary judgment is to avoid unnecessary trials. The procedure may also simplify a trial when partial summary judgment dispenses with certain issues or claims.
Halifax Health denies all of the allegations. It filed its own legal briefs last week asking for summary judgment in its favor, according to the report.
The case is set for trial in November.
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