Six whistleblower lawsuits allege that doctors in the Kaiser Permanente network were pressured into submitting diagnostic codes for more severe or additional diagnoses than patients actually had.

The Department of Justice announced last week that it would be intervening on behalf of six False Claims Act lawsuits filed against Kaiser Permanente. The lawsuits allege that Kaiser and its affiliates submitted inaccurate diagnostic codes in order to reap greater reimbursements from Medicare Advantage enrollees.

"Medicare's managed care program relies on the accuracy of information submitted by health care providers and plans to ensure that patients receive the appropriate level of care, and that plans receive the appropriate compensation," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sarah E. Harrington of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "Today's action sends a clear message that we will hold health care providers and plans accountable if they seek to game the system by submitting false information."

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Emily Payne

Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.