From the Beaufort Observer (10/29/11): The N. C. Baptist Hospital has dropped its suit against Joseph Vincoli. Ordinarily that would not be big news, at least not outside Forsyth County. But it is big news. Here's why.
In 2007 Vincoli was the managed-care director of Baptist Hospital. He became aware that the State of North Carolina was paying Baptist too much for services rendered to teachers and state employees. He reported it to the State Auditor. Baptist fired him, then filed suit against him for violating a “confidentiality agreement” they forced him to sign as a condition of his employment with the hospital. The confidentiality agreement was imposed in 2008 after a settlement agreement was reached with the State.
The State Auditor investigated and concluded that Baptist not only had been overbilling the State but that a number of other hospitals had also. Of course they contest this but most have settled with the State. …
There are many levels to this story, but at its heart it is a prime example of a serious scandal plaguing North Carolina today. We learned of this as the Beaufort Hospital situation evolved. It is essentially this. There is a massive cover-up in the health care industry because of inadequate and in some cases intentional official cover-ups. Laws, apparently secured by high priced lobbying interests, shield and allow Blue Cross and Blue Shield and most hospitals to hide information that they do not want the public to know about.