Community Health agrees to pay $345M to settle 'false claims' lawsuit

Community Health Network has agreed to pay the United States government $345 million to settle allegations that it engaged in a years-long scheme to recruit physicians and pay them huge salaries and bonuses in return for “downstream referrals” on medical procedures. The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday the agreement settles allegations that senior management at Community Health recruited hundreds of local physicians as far back as 2008 and paid them salaries that were significantly higher, sometimes double, than they were receiving in their own private practices. Community submitted an...