Tenet Healthcare – formerly headquartered in Santa Barbara –
agreed to pay $900 million to settle federal allegations of
widespread fraud. The company was accused of boosting revenues by
prescribing unnecessary and expensive surgeries on unsuspecting
Medicare recipients. Tenet spokespeople admitted no legal
wrongdoing, but conceded the company made “mistakes.” The
settlement brings to a close the federal fraud case against Tenet –
the second-largest healthcare chain in the nation – but Securities
and Exchange Commission and IRS inquests remain ongoing.
