JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Shands HealthCare will pay an additional $3 million to settle a whistleblower case.
The whistleblower claimed that six different Shands facilities, including UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health Shands Hospital, in Gainesville submitted false Medicare and Medicaid claims.
According to Shands media relations coordinator Rossana Passaniti, the company cooperated with state and federal investigations of the claims.
"There has been no admission of liability, and after review of the original allegations the U.S. government chose not to intervene in the whistleblower's pursuit of these claims," Passaniti said in a statement.
UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health Shands Hospital will pay $3.25 million. Of those funds, $3.14 million will go to the federal Medicare program and $103,688 will go to the state of Florida's Medicaid program. Shands has already paid a $26 million settlement in the case.
Passaniti said the company chose to settle to avoid costly and lengthy litigation.