On Primetime last night. Each didn't URL repeats part of the article, but adds
a bit more.
http://www.healthscout.com/static/news/1502479.html
Chicago Hospitals Accused of Transplant Fraud
Three prestigious Chicago hospitals are accused of exaggerating the conditions
of liver transplant candidates to speed up procurement of organs for the
patients, the Chicago Tribune reports Tuesday.
Federal and state law enforcement officials have lodged the accusations against
the University of Illinois Hospital, the University of Chicago Hospitals, and
Northwestern Memorial Hospital. All three hospitals, among Chicago's biggest
transplant centers, deny any wrongdoing, the newspaper reports.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says authorities have reached monetary
settlements with the University of Chicago and Northwestern Memorial. A civil
lawsuit has been filed against the University of Illinois Hospital, the Tribune
reports.
In one instance, at least three patients listed as close to death were given
weekend passes to go home, the allegations say. One of the patients is reported
to have dressed up in a clown costume at one of the hospitals to help promote a
blood drive, the newspaper reports.
In the University of Illinois Hospital's case, the alleged fraud enabled the
institution to meet the minimum number of transplants to be certified under the
federal Medicare and Medicaid programs, the lawsuit reportedly alleges.
Dr. Raymond Pollak, a University of Illinois transplant surgeon who exposed the
alleged fraud, says profit was the motive.
"The more patients you transplant, the more referrals you get, the more revenue
you get," he told the Tribune.
http://www.channeloklahoma.com/health/2364688/detail.html
Chicago Hospitals Settle Transplant Fraud Lawsuit
Government Claims Hospitals Misdiagnosed For Better Liver Eligibility
UPDATED: 9:28 a.m. EDT July 29, 2003
CHICAGO -- Three Chicago-area hospitals are accused of diagnosing patients as
sicker than they were to speed up their liver transplants.
The University of Chicago Hospitals, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the
University of Illinois Medical Center were accused of violating the False
Claims Act for causing Medicare and Medicaid to pay for the unnecessary
hospitalization of patients whose conditions were seriously exaggerated so they
could receive liver transplants sooner.
Officials say one patient who was certified as seven days from death was seen
wearing a clown costume and putting on a show to promote a blood drive in the
hospital lobby.
The revelations came in a lawsuit unsealed Monday.
The Illinois attorney general said organ donation is a matter of life and
death, and there's no room for fraud when it comes to deciding who gets organs.
The University of Chicago Hospitals agreed to pay $115,000 and Northwestern
Memorial Hospital will pay $23,587 to settle to settle the accusations, and the
settlement said the facilities did not admit to any wrongdoing. A $3 million
action is pending against the University of Illinois Medical Center.
The original lawsuit was filed by University of Illinois Dr. Raymond Pollak,
who alleged he got a demotion and a pay cut when he complained. The state and
federal governments then intervened.
http://archive.mail-list.com/pkids/msg02733.html
Hospitals Accused of Transplant Fraud
Jul 29, 7:15 AM (ET)
By MIKE ROBINSON
CHICAGO (AP) - Federal officials claim three Chicago hospitals exaggerated
the seriousness of the conditions of some patients so they could get liver
transplants sooner.
Federal officials and a bioethics expert said they know of no other case
where the government accused hospitals of using fraud to increase the
eligibility of patients for organ transplants.
According to prosecutors, one patient who was certified as being seven days
from death was found in a hospital lobby, dressed in a clown costume,
putting on a show to drum up support for a blood drive.
"By falsely diagnosing patients and placing them in intensive care to make
them appear more sick than they were, these three highly regarded medical
centers made patients eligible for liver transplants ahead of others," U.S.
Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said.
The three institutions are the University of Chicago Hospitals, Northwestern
Memorial Hospital and the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago.
There was no allegation anyone died for lack of a transplant because some
patients were made to look more urgently in need than they were. But some
doctors said it was possible.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement that "there is no
room for fraud when it comes to deciding which patient receives an organ."
"No one should play leapfrog with peoples' lives," she said.
The case stems from a whistleblower suit unsealed for the first time Monday
but that was filed in 1999 by Dr. Raymond Pollak, a University of Illinois
Medical Center surgeon.
The other institutions were eventually added to the suit.
The University of Chicago immediately agreed to settle with the federal
government and the state attorney general's office for $115,000.
Northwestern settled with the federal government for $23,587. The state
attorney general's office wasn't involved in Northwestern's settlement.
Neither hospital acknowledged any wrongdoing.
The state and federal governments have asked the U.S. District Court to
force the University of Illinois Medical Center to pay up to $3 million in
damages plus possible fines. That institution has not settled so far.
"Our physicians acted at all times with the utmost concern for the welfare
of patients very ill with liver disease," said University of Illinois
spokesman Mark Rosati.
John Easton, a spokesman for the University of Chicago Hospitals, said that
"contrary to the government's allegations, the hospitals believe that all
decisions about patient care were completely justified."
Northwestern Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Kelly Sullivan issued a statement
saying the hospital agreed with the need to investigate the allegations. But
she added that the institution disagreed with the government's "suggestion
that intensive care unit coverage of two critically ill patients, comatose
and suffering from liver failure, was unnecessary."
There is a shortage of livers available for transplant, and only the most
seriously ill patients are eligible. The United Network for Organ Sharing,
set up by the federal government, decides the criteria for who is sick
enough for a transplant.
But money is also a factor in the decision.
Hospitals must perform 12 transplants each year for two years with a
survival rate of 75 percent or better to be eligible for Medicare and
Medicaid payments to reimburse the cost of the operations.
Federal officials said one motive on the part of the hospitals was to make
sure that they had performed enough operations to qualify.
http://www.yourlawyer.com/practice/news.htm?story_id=6364&topic=Medical%20
Malpractice
<snip>
The case stems from a whistleblower suit unsealed for the first time Monday but
that was filed in 1999 by Dr. Raymond Pollak, a University of Illinois Medical
Center surgeon.
====================
What is not reported on the net:
He was the head of the transplanting.
He blew the whistle.
He got fired, while the lying doctors got promoted.
The University of Illionis wouldn't give him a recommendation.
He is being punished for telling the truth.
(quite different than Dr Wilson who committed fraud and remains on staff)
(None of the hospitals admitted wrong doing)
Those who were critical, waiting for transplants, died.
I know this will concern Barrett, and Bowditch.
They will both have a site with this story,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NOT.