Columbia/HCA Paying $745 Million to Settle Some Fraud Charges

Columbia/HCA Healthcare (COL Quote), the nation's largest private hospital operator, agreed Thursday to pay $745 million to settle some fraud charges with the government.

Under the tentative agreement with the Justice Department, Columbia would settle civil aspects of three of the five issues raised in a 3-year-old investigation. The government would agree to reduce to $250 million from $1 billion an existing letter of credit agreement. Analysts have used the credit agreement as a thumbnail of the company's possible total liability.

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