HCA, the largest U.S. for-profit hospital chain, found some cardiologists at several of its hospitals in Florida were unable to justify many of the procedures they performed between 2002 and 2010, the newspaper reported. In some cases, the doctors made misleading statements in medical records, the paper reported, citing internal company reports.

The hospitals included Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce, Cedars Medical Center in Miami, which the company no longer owns, and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

HCA earlier on Monday said it expected the New York Times to publish an article about decisions made at company hospitals regarding the medical necessity of certain heart procedures.

(Reporting By Susan Kelly in Chicago; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

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