National Medical Enterprises (NME) is a large for-profit hospital and health corporation. One of its hospitals, Los Altos Hospital, in Long Beach, California, paid one doctor $219,275, allegedly for consulting work. In fact, the government claimed, the payment was in exchange for the doctor’s referring to the hospital a large number of Medicare patients. Other NME hospitals engaged in similar practices, said the government.

What crime is the government accusing NME of committing?