FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2002 WWW.USDOJ.GOV CIV (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, DC The government has intervened in a suit that accuses Duke University Medical Center of defrauding the Medicare program, the Justice Department announced today. The suit alleges that the Durham, North Carolina hospital defrauded the federal health care program by charging Medicare for millions of dollars worth of procedures involving experimental cardiac devices that were not properly reimbursable. The allegations in the suit run from 1987 to 1994.
The qui tam or whistleblower lawsuit was originally filed by Kevin Cosens against a number of hospitals around the country. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can file suit on behalf of the government and share in any recovery.
The government has previously entered into settlements with a number of hospital defendants in this case, recovering a total of over $29 million. The Justice Department continues to investigate a number of additional hospitals.
The case will be litigated jointly by the Justice Department's Civil Division and the United States Attorney's Office in the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro. 02-245
Source: US Department of Justice
