Oregon Health Forum
http://www.healthforum.org/june99.html


Oregon hospitals targeted

The Department of Justice investigates improper billing. The
Department of Justice refuses to back down from its 
investigation of Oregon hospitals for improper billing of 
outpatient laboratory tests. Last December, 31 Oregon 
hospitals were under the gun and Assistant US Attorney Bob 
Nesler told Oregon Health Forum, "We anticipate these cases 
going forward. They will continue to be investigated and 
hopefully resolved." Oregon's hospitals are waging a vigorous
 fight. Last year, on the urging of the American Hospital 
Assn., Congress adopted new guidelines for the Justice 
Department to use before alleging hospitals violated the 
False Claims Act by improperly billing. But Oregon isn't 
getting off the hook. The Justice Department intends to 
continue its probe "in a fair and reasonable fashion," 
according to a June 1 letter from Lou DeFalaise, counsel for
Attorney General Janet Reno.