A former southwest Florida hospital executive is accusing a health operator of paying doctors to refer Medicare patients to the company’s hospitals.
A lawsuit filed by Michael Mastej claims that Naples-based Health Management Associates also offered free rent and private jet trips to entice doctors. The lawsuit filed in January was unsealed recently in Tampa federal court.
Company spokesman John Merriwether says the allegations have no merit. A telephone message was left for the state attorney’s office Tuesday.
Health News Florida reports that Mastej, a former resident of Bonita Springs in Lee County, now lives in Blairsville, Ga.
The lawsuit does not specify the number of claims, but says the alleged fraud started in 2007. The company operates approximately 58 hospitals in 15 states.
Topics Florida
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