Patient Dumping

In each CMP case resolved through a settlement agreement, the settling party has contested the OIG's allegations and denied any liability. No CMP judgment or finding of liability has been made against the settling party.

2010

12-23-2010

North Fulton Hospital (North Fulton), Georgia, agreed to pay $40,000 to resolve its liability for Civil Monetary Penalties under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that North Fulton failed to provide a medical screening examination or stabilizing treatment to a patient that presented to its emergency department (ED). The patient was 30 weeks pregnant and reported with complaints of labor pain to North Fulton's ED upon the advice of her physician.

11-22-2010

Mobile Infirmary (MI), Alabama, agreed to pay $45,000 to resolve its liability for civil monetary penalties under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that MI refused to accept an appropriate transfer to its hospital of a patient in need of specialized capabilities available at MI. The refusal of the transfer request delayed care and treatment for a patient's gastrointestinal bleed. Two hours after the request to MI, the patient was finally transferred to another hospital approximately 60 miles away. En route, the patient's condition deteriorated and the patient had to be transported by helicopter to the receiving hospital. The patient subsequently died that day.

11-16-2010

Houston Northwest Medical Center (HNMC), Texas, agreed to pay $40,000 to resolve its liability for Civil Monetary Penalties under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that HNMC failed to provide appropriate medical screening or stabilizing treatment for a pregnant female who came to HNMC's emergency department while having labor contractions.

11-04-2010

November 4, 2010 - Port St. Lucie Hospital (PSLH), Florida, agreed to pay $19,000 to resolve its liability for civil monetary penalties under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that PSLH refused to accept an appropriate transfer to its hospital of a patient in need of specialized capabilities available at PSLH. Specifically, the OIG alleged that PSLH refused to accept the patient based on an erroneous belief that the patient was uninsured. A second transfer request transfer was made the next day and the same nurse at PSLH again denied transfer.

09-07-2010

Providence Hospital, Alabama, agreed to pay $45,000 to resolve its liability for CMPs under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that Providence refused to accept an appropriate transfer to its hospital of a patient in need of specialized capabilities available at Providence. The patient's condition deteriorated and, as a result, the patient was transported by helicopter to another hospital and died that day.

06-14-2010

University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC), Illinois, agreed to pay $50,000 to resolve its liability for Civil Monetary Penalties under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that UCMC failed to provide a medical screening examination or stabilizing treatment to a patient that presented to its emergency department (ED). The liability stems from UCMC failing to log the patient into their system after he presented via ambulance. The patient was left in the waiting area. Approximately three hours later, the patient's daughter approached the triage desk and informed the ED staff that her father still had not been seen. The triage nurse approached the patient and saw that he was non-responsive and had rigor mortis. The ED physician, upon examining the patient, pronounced him dead.

04-27-2010

Olive View UCLA Medical Center (Olive View), California, agreed to pay $25,000 to resolve its liability for Civil Monetary Penalties under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that Olive View's emergency department (ED) did not provide an appropriate medical screening examination (MSE) or stabilizing treatment to a patient that presented to its ED. The liability stems from a 33-year-old patient who presented to Olive View's ED complaining of chest pains. After waiting for over three hours without receiving a MSE, the patient exited the ED, collapsed outside of the building, and despite attempts to resuscitate him, was pronounced dead within minutes.

2009

09-29-2009

Kaiser Foundation Hospitals - Santa Clara (Kaiser), California, agreed to pay $100,000 for allegedly violating the Patient Anti-Dumping Statute on two separate occasions. On both occasions, Kaiser failed to provide appropriate medical screening examinations and stabilizing treatment. On the first occasion, a 15-year old presented to Kaiser's emergency department (ED) doubled over, crying and complaining of severe abdominal pain. Kaiser discharged the patient and sent her to a pediatric physician group on the hospital's campus. On the second occasion, a 12-year old boy returned to Kaiser's ED after being sent home the night before. He presented with a high fever, continued pain and was lethargic with swollen eyes and face. He was also discharged to the pediatric physician group on the hospital's campus. Over six hours after he presented to the ED, he was admitted to Kaiser's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where he died the next morning from staphylococcal sepsis.

09-10-2009

Robert Wood John University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton), New Jersey, agreed to pay $65,000 to resolve its liability for CMPs under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that RWJ Hamilton failed to provide a medical screening examination, stabilizing treatment or an appropriate transfer for a mother and her newborn child who came to RWJ Hamilton's emergency department for examination and treatment for a medical condition.

06-04-2009

Palms West Hospital (PWH), Florida, agreed to pay $50,000 to resolve its liability for CMPs under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that on two separate occasions, PWH refused to accept an appropriate transfer to its hospital of a patient in need of specialized capabilities available at Palms.

06-02-2009

Plantation General Hospital (PGH), Florida, agreed to pay $40,000 to resolve its liability for CMPs under the patient dumping statute. The settlement resolved allegations that PGH failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination, stabilizing treatment, and/or an appropriate transfer for a pregnant patient that presented to its emergency department in active labor. A friend drove the patient at very high speeds to another hospital where she delivered her baby minutes after arrival.

03-06-2009

Research Medical Center (RMC), Missouri, agreed to pay $40,000 to resolve its liability for CMPs under the patient dumping statute. The settlement resolved allegations that RMC failed to appropriately screen and stabilize a patient who presented with severe abdominal pain resulting from an ectopic pregnancy.

02-25-2009

An Illinois physician agreed to pay $35,000 to resolve his liability for CMPs under the patient dumping statute. The OIG alleged that the on-call physician failed to respond to a request to come to the emergency department to treat a patient that presented with an open leg fracture. The patient was transferred to another facility and underwent emergency surgery.

02-17-2009

Stanly Memorial Hospital n/k/a Stanly Regional Medical Center (Stanly), North Carolina, agreed to pay $20,000 for allegedly violating the Patient Anti-Dumping Statute on two separate occasions: (1) Stanly failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination or stabilizing treatment prior to transferring a patient that presented with symptoms of alcohol and polysubstance abuse and depression; and (2) Stanly failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination or stabilizing treatment prior to discharging a patient that presented with symptoms of drug abuse.

2008

09-02-2008

St. Francis Medical Center (St. Francis), Missouri, agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve its liability under section 1867 of the Social Security Act (Act), 42 U.S.C. section 1395dd, the Patient Anti-Dumping Statute. The settlement resolved allegations that St. Francis failed to provide stabilizing treatment to a patient, prior to discharging her, that presented to its emergency department requesting dialysis and complaining of diarrhea and nausea and vomiting for four days, shortness of breath, and chest pains.

08-04-2008

Baptist Hospital, Inc. (Baptist), Florida, agreed to pay $22,500 to resolve allegations that it failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment to a man that presented to Baptist's emergency department (ED) via ambulance. The OIG alleged that an EMT informed Baptist that the man had not taken his psychiatric medication, was suicidal, and claimed to hear voices. Baptist failed to perform a medical screening examination of the patient and he was left unsupervised in the triage area. The patient complained to the registrar that his suicidal thoughts were growing stronger, but the registrar told him that he would have to continue to wait. After waiting for approximately 45 minutes, the patient left the hospital and walked to an adjacent parking lot and lacerated his right arm. The patient was taken by ambulance back to Baptist and admitted for 16 days of psychiatric treatment.

06-30-2008

Cumberland County Hospital System, Inc. d/b/a Cape Fear Valley Medical Center (Cape Fear), North Carolina, agreed to pay $42,500 to resolve allegations that it failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment to a 13 year-old mentally ill girl who threatened to kill herself. The patient was allegedly seen by a physician for approximately 5 minutes before she was released. Less than 50 minutes after the physician saw the patient, the patient jumped out of a car traveling approximately 40 miles per hour and fractured her skull.

06-25-2008

Rogers Memorial Hospital, Wisconsin, agreed to pay $30,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment to a 57 year-old woman that presented to the hospital's emergency department with her family. The woman had a history of depression. The OIG alleged that the hospital informed the patient and her family that they did not accept Medicaid patients in her age group. The patient was transported by her family to another hospital where she was admitted for depression and suicidal ideations.

05-07-2008

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (EMRMC), Kentucky, agreed to pay $25,000 to resolve allegations that its emergency department physician redirected an ambulance arriving on hospital property with a woman with elevated blood sugar and a decreased level of consciousness without first providing an adequate medical screening examination to the woman.

03-14-2008

Denver Health Medical Center (Denver Health), Colorado, agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve allegations that it refused to accept an appropriate transfer of an individual who required Denver Health's specialized Level I trauma capabilities after an automobile accident.

03-06-2008

Tomball Regional Hospital (TRH), Texas, agreed to pay $32,500 to resolve allegations that it violated the screening and stabilization provisions of the Patient Anti-Dumping Statute. The OIG alleged that TRH failed to provide proper screening and stabilization to a patient who presented to its emergency department in a combative state and on narcotics. The patient had a psychiatric history of attention deficit disorder. The ED physician did not request a psychiatric consultation with the on-call psychiatrist. Instead, the patient was discharged with a final diagnosis of drug intake. Approximately an hour later, the patient arrived at another hospital accompanied by the police. The patient was admitted and diagnosed with having a bipolar disorder.

03-03-2008

Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems, Inc. (ORHS), Florida, agreed to pay $85,000 for allegedly violating the Patient Anti-Dumping Statute on three separate occasions: (1) ORHS inappropriately transferred a 27-year old female in active labor; (2) ORHS did not accept a patient referred to one of its facilities under the Baker Act; and (3) ORHS failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination for a patient who arrived at its emergency department. 

Dallas L Alford IV, CPA is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of North Carolina and owner of Atlantic Financial Consulting, a consulting firm that provides comprehensive medical billing services, practice management consulting, coding audits, Medicare compliance, Medicare RAC support and other general medical practice consulting services. To learn more about Atlantic Financial Consulting you may visit their website at http://atlanticfinancial.us  or contact Dallas L Alford IV, CPA directly at 1 888-428-2555, Ext. 200.