Hospital accused of performing unnecessary cardiac procedures

The United States Attorney’s Office located in Pittsburgh announced that that one healthcare provider had settled medical malpractice allegations in the amount of $2 million. It has been claimed that this healthcare provider submitted false claims to Medicare after performing unnecessary cardiac stenting between 2009 and 2011.

More disturbing than the bilking of Medicare, individuals have unnecessarily gone under the knife and have now filed medical malpractice claims regarding the unnecessary surgical procedures. The entire hospital chain for which this healthcare provider was affiliated has come under a federal investigation for the performance of the needless cardiac procedures.

This is not the first time a medical care provider has been accused of performing stenting on patients when the procedure was not needed. One other state has even passed legislation requiring peer reviews during coronary stent placement procedures.

It’s disturbing that hospitals would look at the performance of these sorts of procedures as a means for boosting revenue. Patients undergo particular dangers anytime a surgical procedure is performed, and this would seem to be particularly true when we are speaking of cardiac procedures. The patient would undergo anesthesia during such circumstances, and then will be cut open with a knife without any medical necessity.

Medical malpractice attorneys require much more from hospitals then this. Hospitals must always take into account the best interest of the patients, and must never put profits above the well being of the patients. Medical malpractice lawsuits will take that profit motive away from medical providers and create incentives for making medical care as safe and effective as possible.

Source: Fierce Healthcare, “Health system pays $2M to settle unnecessary stenting procedures,” by Alicia Caramenico, Dec. 10, 2012