Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has defeated a former payment coordinator's retaliation lawsuit.
Clarisse Toledo, who worked as a payment coordinator at an HCA hospital in Houston before being fired in 2017, alleged that HCA fired her after she raised concerns that the health system was not meeting some Medicare billing requirements. Ms. Toledo brought the lawsuit in December 2017.
Judge Lynn Hughes of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled Oct. 26 that Ms. Toledo failed to show that she was wrongfully terminated by HCA for raising complaints about Medicare billing.
Instead, the judge found that Ms. Toledo "complained about mistakes, glitches, poor work, and her frustrations — but not fraud or illegal activity."
The judge also said HCA properly documented that Ms. Toledo was fired because she continued to make mistakes despite receiving targeted training.