Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas has settled criminal and civil changes of violating the federal Anti-Kickback Statute with a payment of $258,000 and consent to up to two years of federally-imposed monitoring, though federal investigation continues into other FPMC facilities and affiliated persons.
The U.S. Department of Justice contends between 2008 and 2012, representatives from the physician-owned FPMC in Dallas offered and gave area physicians illegal kickbacks in exchange for referrals of TRICARE patients.
As a part of the a recently-signed non-prosecution agreement, FPMC has formally acknowledged the federal government has enough evidence to indict the hospital for offering and paying illegal kickbacks, though has not admitted wrongdoing or liability.
"FPMC Dallas fully cooperated with the United States Attorney's Office throughout this process and began an open dialogue with them. We are pleased that we have reached a non-prosecution and civil settlement agreement with the United States Attorney's Office," Archie Drake, the hospital's COO, told The Dallas Morning News.
The hospital has also agreed to cooperate with the federal government's continuing investigation into certain individuals affiliated with FPMC. The agreement does not apply to any other hospital in the FPMC system, or any employee or physician, all of which remain vulnerable to prosecution in the federal government's ongoing investigation.
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