By Alabama Public Radio
Birmingham, AL – HealthSouth soon will begin paying 100 million dollars to settle a civil action. The Securities and Exchange Commission accused the company and former C-E-O- Richard Scrushy of overstating earnings. The initial case said the company inflated earnings by one-point-four billion dollars since 1999, but the number later grew to two-point-seven billion dollars and went back to 1996. The settlement will be paid in five installments over two years, and the company will begin making the payments later this year. HealthSouth officials say the company's long-term financial projections include the settlement payments.