Here are 10 things for ASCs to know:
1. Federal prosecutors at the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston are investigating allegations of fraud, as well as violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, CBS News reported July 11.
2. The act made it unlawful for certain entities to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business.
3. “Steward Health Care can confirm it is aware of and cooperating with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice,” a Steward spokesperson said in a July 12 statement shared with Becker’s. “As a matter of policy, Steward will have no further comment on this investigation as it remains ongoing.”
4. According to the CBS News report, Steward formerly had a deal with Malta, a European country, to operate three state-owned hospitals. The deal has fallen through and is now connected to a criminal corruption probe.
5. Steward and its executives have not been charged, according to CBS News.
6. Steward is currently looking to offload its physician group and 31 hospitals at auction.
7. In June, Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, called off its plan to acquire Steward’s 1,700-physician group.
8. Auction dates for some of Steward’s hospitals have been pushed back.
9. In a July 10 statement of financial affairs bankruptcy court documents obtained by Becker’s, it was revealed that Steward made six payments totaling just under $1.6 million this year to London-based commercial intelligence and investigation company Audere International before filing for bankruptcy.
10. The payments occurred from early February to early April and ran from $152,698 to $465,204, but the documents did not disclose the services provided.
The Justice Department declined to provide Becker’s with comment. Becker’s has also reached out to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s office and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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