A surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center filed suit against the hospital, claiming Medicare and Medicaid fraud. These accusations sparked extensive investigations into the organization. As a result, UT Southwestern was required to pay approximately $1.4 million to the government in 2011.
The lawsuit dealing with compensation for the whistleblower himself, however, has been dismissed recently. Dr. Larry Gentilello first called attention to the billing fraud. A federal court in Dallas, TX ruled that he is not eligible for compensation.
In a statement, Dallas trial attorney Charla Aldous stated the decision did not catch her or her client by surprise. She also suggested that she was unlikely to take the case to an appellate court. She stood behind her client, stating in a comment quoted by The Dallas Morning News that “Dr. Gentilello stood up for what was right.” She also called for increased accountability for UT Southwestern, and pointed out that the current laws as they stand protect hospitals and other institutions to a degree that is not beneficial for their patients.
