GA health system settles false claims suit for $5.1M

Savannah, GA-based Memorial Health has agreed to pay $5.1 million to settle a suit claiming that it made excessive payments to ophthalmologists. The suit, which was filed by a physician whistleblower, contended that the system's Memorial University Medical Center paid ophthalmologists at "levels which were not commercially reasonable," then billed for federal reimbursement for their services. The system, for its part, denies any wrongdoing and disputes the allegations contained in the suit, but needed to bring the matter to a close, executives said in a written statement.

To learn more about the suit:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)