January 20, 2009
SouthernCare, a hospice company based in Birmingham, Alabama, has agreed to pay $24.7 million dollars to settle a False Claims Act suit brought by two nurses formerly employed by SouthernCare.
The U.S. Dept. of Justice announced the settlement, which resolves allegations that the company, which operates at 99 locations in 15 states, purposefully enrolled ineligible patients for hospice care, which is restricted to patients who have six months or less to live.