Monterey, CA Prosecution Possible For Southern California Hospital On Possible Bogus Workers Compensation Claims

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California In another black mark for the medical industry, The U.S. attorney for the Central District of California has announced it's investigating another surgery center, believing some hospital executives have received kickbacks for sending patients to Pacific Hospital of Long Beach.  Most of the patients were filing workers compensation claims, and the FBI has already raided the local hospital and another company owned by the same person as Pacific Hospital.  The owners allegedly paid doctors thousands of dollars for each patient which was sent to the hospital for spine surgery.  This begs the question whether all of the surgeries were needed or whether some were just done to back up bogus workers comp claims.  The hospital has done 5,138 spinal surgeries from 2001-2011 and billed $533 million to workers compensation insurers, more than any hospital in California.  It's unfortunate.  We've had some allegations regarding improprieties at local medical centers in Salinas, but nothing on this massive scale.  Workers compensation for many companies serving senior citizens have skyrocketed in recent years, and some of this is due to fake workers compensation claims.  I'm glad to see this type of enforcement but it's unfortunate that it comes only after more than half a billion dollars has been billed to workers comp. insurers.