"I had to badger the Justice Department to see the math in this case. At the last minute, the Justice Department agreed to show my investigators why this settlement was the best the government could do. There's no way to know exactly how much HCA pocketed. This case is so complicated, and so huge, that no one will ever know exactly how much HCA took. This case is troubling because it shows how one company, with unbridled greed, systematically defrauded the government's health care programs. I appreciate the Justice Department's long-time commitment to this investigation and efforts to recover $1.7 billion from HCA.
"The taxpayers rely on the Justice Department and the False Claims Act to protect them against corporate greed and fraud. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, my first priority is to examine how the False Claims Act is working. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that every cent taken by crooked health care providers is given back to American taxpayers. I'll continue working to strengthen the False Claims Act and to ensure that future settlements fully reimburse the Medicare Trust Funds. One change that appears critical is a better system, maybe through legislation, for ensuring that Congress is advised about settlements. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the other branches of government. We can't fulfill that responsibility if the other branches keep us in the dark."