ETMC, Paramedics Plus, Oklahoma agency agree to $21 million settlement
A Tyler hospital, an affiliated ambulance company, and an Oklahoma agency have agreed to pay about $21 million to settle a federal kickbacks lawsuit, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The former East Texas Medical Center, its former subsidiary Paramedics Plus, and the Oklahoma agency Emergency Medical Services Authority agreed to settlements totaling $20,949,000, according to the federal government.
The whistleblower lawsuit, picked up by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2017, alleged that the entities had been involved in an illegal kickback scheme. Austin-based attorney Patrick O’Connell represents the original whistleblower, Dr. Stephen Dean, who first brought the issue forward in 2014.
The federal government alleged the parties created a slush fund controlled by East Texas Medical Center and Paramedics Plus and used the fund to pay more than $20 million in kickbacks in the form of cash payments, political contributions, marketing expenses, and payments to contractors.
Read more: https://tylerpaper.com/news/local/etmc-paramedics-plus-oklahoma-agency-agree-to-million-settlement/article_8271b2c0-aa31-11e8-ab0e-57b3f55f4b2b.html
