Federal prosecutors announced a multi-million dollar settlement involving fraud and a Middle Tennessee health care company on Monday, the second such announcement this month.
Vanguard Health Systems, which has since been bought by a Texas company, agreed to pay $2.9 million after facing charges related to the False Claims Act. Authorities had said the company submitted improper bills to Medicare.
The company’s payment does not admit wrongdoing and averts a potential trial.
It also follows closely after an even bigger settlement — $6.5 million — with a group of home health care companies known together as “Friendship.” That case also involved allegations of improper health care billing.
Both court cases show the results of an intense crackdown on health care fraud in Middle Tennessee. In recent years, more federal investigators have been on the lookout and they’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars — a sharp increase.
Their work has been boosted by the False Claims Act itself, which helps whistleblowers come forward with information.
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