U.S. hospital companies seen under microscope as costs targeted

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Investors in U.S. hospital companies can expect more scrutiny of billing practices and the medical need for expensive treatments as the federal government faces greater pressure to recoup billions in fraudulent claims, analysts said. HCA Holdings Inc, the largest for-profit hospital operator in the United States, said earlier this week that federal authorities were investigating whether heart procedures performed at some of its facilities were medically necessary. This isn’t the first time that HCA has been in the government’s crosshairs. …