Omnicare to pay $120M to settle kickback claim

FEDERAL ANTI-KICKBACK LAW AND REGULATORY SAFE HARBORS

From the regulation :

the law states that anyone who knowingly and willfully receives or pays anything of value to influence the referral of federal health care program business, including Medicare and Medicaid, can be held accountable for a felony. Violations of the law are punishable by up to five years in prison, criminal fines up to $25,000, administrative civil money penalties up to $50,000, and exclusion from participation in federal health care programs.

From the article:

Omnicare Inc. agreed to pay $120 million to settle a whistle-blower lawsuit claiming it violated the U.S. anti-kickback law by giving discounts on certain Medicare services to nursing homes.

The Ohio lawsuit, initially filed under seal, was unsealed in 2011 after the U.S. government decided not to join it. Gale continued to pursue the action on behalf of the U.S. Under the False Claims Act, the government still will receive most of the settlement. Gale will get as much as 30 percent of the recovery.

Amazing.. the Feds did not want to pursue the case.. BUT… when Omnicare was going to have to pay some money… the Feds showed up “at the trough” to get their share. OINK …OINK

The bureaucrats give a lot of “lip service” to fraud/abuse of Medicare & Medicaid… and this time Omnicare becomes a REPEAT OFFENDER …

according to published facts… the 120 million dollar fine is close to 6 months of net profits from Omnicare..  OUCH !

Filed under: General Problems