The Los Angeles Times reported today that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned that it may sue Tenet Healthcare six former executives because of Tenet's former Medicare billing practices in place through early 2003. Tenet said it has been cooperating with the SEC investigation. The former executives include Tenet's former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeffrey C. Barbakow, fomer Chief Operating Officer (COO) Thomas B. Mackey, former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) David L. Dennis, former General Counsel Christi R. Sulzbach, former Chief Accounting Officer Raymond L. Mathiesen, and former Senior Vice President of Government Programs Steve Dominguez. All left Tenet in 2002-2003. A racketeering suit was filed earlier this year against Tenet by the Florida Attorney General on this issue. A company spokesperson said "We will respond to hopefully demonstrate why an enforcement action is not necessary."
Of course, the outcome of this case is still in doubt, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in how this major hospital system was lead.
Tenet has been busted in the past, for such tactics as holding patients against thier will or for medically unnecessary reasons to continue to collect insurance money.
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