North Broward Hospital District, a special taxing district of the state of Florida that operates hospitals and other healthcare facilities, has agreed to pay the federal government $69.5 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by engaging in improper financial relationships with physicians, according to the Department of Justice.
The settlement resolves allegations that the hospital district provided compensation to nine employed physicians that exceeded the fair market value of their services.
The allegations arose from a lawsuit filed by Michael Reilly, MD, under the qui tam, or whistle-blower, provisions of the False Claims Act, according to the DOJ.
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