HCA stock slides 6%

HCA Holdings disclosed Monday that the U.S. Attorney in Miami has requested information regarding the medical necessity of heart procedures performed at 10

of the company’s hospitals.

Nashville-based HCA’s stock fell 6 percent, or $1.60 per share, to trade at $25 on the New York Stock Exchange by mid-afternoon.

The company also said that the U.S. Justice Department, as part of a national investigation, is looking into Medicare billing practices for the implantation

of heart defibrillators at 95 of its hospitals.

“The review could potentially give rise to claims against the company under the federal False Claims Act or other statutes, regulations or laws,” HCA said

in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionAccording to the filing, the separate inquiry from the U.S. Attorney in Miami came just last

month and the hospitals involved are primarily in Florida. The disclosures came as HCA posted a 7 percent jump in second-quarter earnings, topping the

average estimate of analysts.

HCA is one of several health care firms to disclose ongoing federal inquiries in recent months. Among them are locally based Lifepoint Hospitals, Community

Health Systems and Vanguard Health Systems.

Vanderbilt University also disclosed in a recent bond prospectus that The U.S. Justice Department was looking into billing procedures for Medicare patients

placed in intensive care units.

In an unusual development HCA issued a statement defending its handling of cardiac cases in anticipation of a yet-to-be published story in the New York

Times.