September 20, 2000 — Copyright 2000 Los Angeles Times

A federal whistle-blower suit by a former official at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center has resulted in a $1.2-million settlement by California Emergency Physicians, one of California’s largest physicians groups, the U.S. attorney’s office said Tuesday.

Trevor Baylor, former medical records director at the hospital, filed his lawsuit in 1998, accusing the Oakland-based physicians group of overbilling federal health insurance programs, including Medicare.

The Justice Department subsequently joined the suit and California Emergency Physicians agreed to the settlement without admitting any wrongdoing.

The medical group provides emergency services at 46 hospitals and 15 urgent care centers in the state. The $1.2-million settlement represents about twice the government’s losses from overbillings at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.