Kentucky Heart Stent Attorney Discusses Recent Settlement
Kentucky Heart Stent attorneys note the recent settlement by a Kentucky hospital of federal charges related to unnecessary heart stent procedures, as reported by Bloomberg/Businessweek:
A hospital in northeast Kentucky agreed to pay one of the largest settlements to date in the federal crackdown on unnecessary cardiology procedures. King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland will pay the U.S. $41 million to settle charges under the False Claims Act that it overpaid physicians so they would refer heart patients to the hospital for lucrative procedures. The incentives drove “hundreds” of unnecessary cardiac catheterizations and stentings at the facility from 2006 to 2011, according Kerry Harvey, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice, King’s Daughters was also accused of violating the Stark Law, paying doctors and physicians exorbitant salaries in return for their agreement to refer cardiac patients to the hospital for surgery.
The King’s Daughter settlement was the second settlement of its kind since January in Kentucky, when St. Joseph’s in London agreed to a $16.5 million settlement for engaging in similar practices.
These instances, however, represent just two examples of what is apparently a much larger problem nationwide. According to a review of government records and medical databases conducted by USA Today, “unnecessary surgeries account for 10% to 20% of . . . a wide range of cardiac procedures. . . .” An analysis of the U.S. government’s National Practitioner Data Bank public use file also found that “more than 1,000 doctors have made payments to settle or close malpractice claims in surgical cases that involved allegations of unnecessary or inappropriate procedures.” Even former President George W. Bush had a stent placed in his coronary artery last year, a decision that The Washington Post and others deemed unnecessary based on the findings of two tests by The New England Journal of Medicine.
Recipient of a Heart Stent? Contact an Attorney Today
If you or a loved one received a heart stent from a hospital in Kentucky that you think may have been unnecessary, contact Attorney Group for Kentucky today. We will evaluate your case, free of charge, and help you determine if you have a claim. We can also connect you with an affiliated Kentucky heart stent attorney who can help you pursue your claim and, if necessary, file a lawsuit to recover damages on your behalf. The time to file a lawsuit is limited, so contact Attorney Group for Kentucky today.
