Two providers settle whistle-blower suits

Cleveland-based University Hospitals Health System will pay $14 million to settle a whistleblower case in which doctors were accused of making improper Medicaid referrals. The scheme came to light when heart surgeon Dr. Thomas J. Kirby filed a lawsuit after losing his place on the hospital's staff. The hospital system admits to no wrongdoing in the case. 

In another whistleblower suit, nursing home chain Beverly Enterprises will have to fork over $20 million to the U.S. and California governments to settle accusations that its former subsidiary, MK Medical, improperly billed Medicare and Medi-Cal. MK Medical, which is now defunct, was a wholesaler of durable medical equipment.

To read more about the two whistleblower cases:
- check out this LATimes report on University Hospitals Health Systems
- see the release on the Beverly settlement