Wheels of Health-Care Justice Grind Slowly in Chicago

Wheels of Health-Care Justice Grind Slowly in Chicago
Posted by Scott Hensley
The former owner of a bankrupt Chicago hospital that was at the center of a massive federal health-care fraud has new legal worries, the Chicago Tribune reports.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, of Plamegate fame, said the government had criminally charged Peter Rogan, once the CEO of Edgewater Medical Center, with perjury and obstructing the government’s efforts to collect $64 million in civil penalties he owes.

The Tribune said neither Rogan nor his lawyer could be reached from comment yesterday.

Edgewater closed its doors in late 2001 and entered bankruptcy in 2002. Four doctors and an Edgewater VP wound up in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges over the payment of kickbacks for patient referrals and medically unnecessary hospital admissions, tests, and services.

Rogan, 62, wasn’t charged criminally when the original case went down. But the feds have been after him from the get-go. In 2002, they filed a civil lawsuit against him, alleging that he was the guy responsible for Edgewater’s submission of millions of bucks in false Medicare and Medicaid claims. Two years ago, a federal judge entered a $64 million judgment against Rogan and found that he’d testified falsely, destroyed documents and obstructed justice.

more:http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/05/30/wheels-of-health-care-justice-grind-slowly-in-chicago/