A retired health care fraud investigator with the FBI was hired in 2006 by a Naples-based hospital chain to work in the medical company's compliance division. The hospital chain, Health Management Associates, reportedly fired the compliance officer in September. The former worker recently filed a lawsuit in Broward County against the Florida-based hospital company for wrongful termination. That case has been transferred to federal court in Fort Lauderdale.

The former worker says in his lawsuit that he was unlawfully fired in retaliation for uncovering alleged fraudulent Medicare billing within the hospital system. He says that he brought the issue to corporate management, but says that "no meaningful action had been taken to rectify the fraudulent billing practices ongoing within these facilities."

The worker--who had advanced to become director of corporate compliance by January, 2010--says in his wrongful termination lawsuit that his job duties were changed in January, 2011. He says that in retaliation for raising the Medicare fraud billing issue, corporate management eliminated the worker's compliance functions in the hospital chain and worked to limit his contact with the hospitals in question.

The former worker says that he did not back down in seeking a corporate remedy for the alleged fraudulent billing and let management know that he intended to report the alleged violations if the company failed to do so. On Sept. 6, 2011, the former investigator sent an email within the company that reportedly stated it was his "intent that the right thing is done in this investigation." He says in his wrongful termination lawsuit that the company fired him the same day he sent the email.

The company denied any wrongful termination occurred, claiming that the former worker was fired for insubordination. Officials with the hospital claim that the former compliance director refused to cooperate in an internal investigation and that he improperly disclosed confidential information of the company. The hospital further claims that the fired worker refused to return documents that were in his possession that were the subject matter of federal subpoenas.

Source: Naples News, "Medicare fraud investigator files lawsuit against Naples hospital group for wrongful termination," Liz Freeman, Jan. 5, 2012