January 09, 2007
Cardiologists with East Tennessee Heart Consultants (ETHC) have agreed to pay $2.9 million to settle claims that they kept overpayments from patients, federal health care programs, and insurance companies since 1995.
The suit began as a qui tam action, filed by whistleblowers under the provisions of the federal False Claims Act and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act.
ETHC will repay the United States $1,498,896; the State of Tennessee $201,104; $1,043,629 to 11,220 patients; and $167,449 to other insurance companies.
The Sevierville, TN, Mountain Press ran a January 6, 2007 story on the settlement.