Justice Department Intervenes in HMA Lawsuits

The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday it has intervened in a series of lawsuits alleging Health Management Associates paid bonuses and used pressure to influence doctors in emergency rooms at HMA hospitals to boost inpatient admission rates.HMA operates 71 hospitals in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.  "The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that health care providers who attempt to misuse federal health care programs for their own...