Whistle-blowers are entitled to 15% to 25% of the money recovered in cases involving the Justice Department. Most of these hospitals are in Southern California, including Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Encino Hospital Medical Center, Sherman Oaks Hospital and Huntington Beach Hospital. The U.S. Justice Department has joined a whistle-blower case against Prime Healthcare Services, adding significant weight to allegations of widespread Medicare overbilling at 14 of the company’s hospitals in California. Dr. Prem Reddy, founder of Prime Healthcare Services, at his office in Ontario in November 2014. Berntsen’s lawsuit accuses Prime of routinely making Medicare patients’ illnesses seem more severe than they really were in order to justify billing for additional services and increasing hospital admissions.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 25, 2016 18:42 UTC