CBS News
Steward Health Care under federal investigation for fraud and corruption, sources tell CBS News
CBS News has learned federal authorities in Boston have opened a criminal investigation into Steward Health Care, a company that owns dozens of hospitals nationwide, including nine in Massachusetts, according to two people familiar with the matter. Steward, which is based in Dallas, recently filed for bankruptcy.
Federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston are investigating Steward Health Care based on various allegations including fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, two people familiar with the matter said. The law prohibits U.S. citizens and entities from engaging in corrupt activities when operating overseas.
In addition to its U.S. properties, Steward was tapped by the government in Malta to run three state-owned hospitals. That deal is now at the center of a criminal corruption probe playing out in the island nation. Neither Steward nor its executives have been charged in connection to the matter in Malta.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.
Reached Thursday, a spokesperson for Steward did not immediately provide comment.
Steward filed for bankruptcy reorganization in May and is exploring plans to sell all of its hospitals. Bids for the Massachusetts facilities, which have remained opened during the bankruptcy, are due on Monday.
The company has been one focus of a year-and-a-half-long CBS News investigation documenting how private equity and other investor groups have siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars from community hospitals with devastating public health consequences.
Records reviewed by CBS News showed Steward hospitals around the country left a trail of unpaid bills, at times risking a shortage of potentially life-saving supplies.
The Department of Health in Massachusetts opened an investigation after a woman died after giving birth at a Steward hospital in Boston last October. A complaint made by healthcare workers at the facility, obtained by CBS News, indicates a medical device that might have saved her life had been repossessed by the manufacturer weeks earlier because Steward owed about $2.5 million in unpaid bills.
Steward has become synonymous with the perils of private equity investment in health care. The company started buying up Massachusetts hospitals in 2010, with hundreds of millions of dollars in backing from private equity giant Cerberus,
Cerberus shed its stake in Steward by January 2021, after making an $800 million profit in a decade, according to a report from Bloomberg. Financial records show Steward has also sold off more than $1 billion of its hospitals’ land and buildings since 2016 to Medical Properties Trust, which has made a business of buying up hospital real estate from private equity investors.
A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission from 2021 shows Steward’s owners also paid themselves millions in dividends. Around the same time, Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre acquired a 190-foot yacht estimated to be worth $40 million.
“They’ve taken money away from these hospitals that provide needed care and they’re using that money to line their own pockets.” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey told CBS News in February. “I’m disgusted. It’s selfish. It’s greed.”
The company previously told CBS News that executives always put patients first and said they “deny that any other considerations were placed ahead of that guiding principle.” The company spokesperson said Steward “has actively and meaningfully invested” in its hospital system since its formation, including in Massachusetts, where it took over hospitals that were “failing” and “about to close.”
“Steward Health Care has done everything in its power to operate successfully in a highly challenging health care environment,” de la Torre said in a company statement in May.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
Getty Images
The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
CBS News
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
Nic Antaya/Getty Images
The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.