News-At-A-Glance: Optim Healthcare Agrees to $4 Million Settlement

Improperly inflated claims, upcoded claims, and violations of the physician self-referral laws (Stark) are among the allegations leveled against Optim Healthcare (Savannah, Ga.). The settlement was announced Aug. 11 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia. According to the announcement, the case was initiated by complaints from patients who live in the Savannah area but had to travel to Optim Healthcare’s rural hospital to undergo major surgical procedures. The government alleges that the patients were sent to the rural facility based on reimbursement issues rather than anything to do with patient care. The allegations that were resolved through this settlement were also part of a federal whistleblower suit.