The Department of justice has thrown its weight behind whistleblower lawsuits against three hospitals accused of defrauding Medicare

The US Justice Department has intervened against three New Jersey hospitals in two whistleblower lawsuits alleging that the hospitals defrauded Medicare.

Both whistleblower lawsuits allege that the three hospitals fraudulently inflated their charges to Medicare patients to obtain enhanced reimbursement from Medicare.

The lawsuits were filed in 2002 under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private citizens with knowledge of financial fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the US and to share in any recovery.

“Both whistleblower lawsuits allege that the three hospitals fraudulently inflated their charges to Medicare patients to obtain enhanced reimbursement from Medicare.

The three hospitals are Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton, Barnert Hospital in Paterson, and Bayonne Hospital.

Two of the hospitals have filed for bankruptcy protection.