SAN DIEGO (AP) - Five Southern California ambulance companies will pay more than $11.5 million to settle federal allegations that they paid kickbacks to hospitals.
The U.S. attorney’s office says the agreements were contained in lawsuit documents unsealed Monday in San Diego federal court.
The federal whistleblower lawsuit claimed the companies offered services at steep discounts or even below cost to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in exchange for exclusive rights to handle lucrative Medicare patient referrals.
The government alleged the arrangements led to false Medicare claims for transport.
The companies were based in Orange County and San Diego.
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