A former Genotox billing manager brought the misconduct to the attention of the Justice Department by filing a False Claims Act lawsuit. He received a $1M whistleblower award. Medical-testing firm Genotox Laboratories of Austin, Texas has agreed to pay $5.9 million to resolve allegations it violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act by paying volume-based commissions to independent sales representatives and specimen collectors working in medical practices. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Genotox paid the sales representatives—whom it referred to as 1099 contractors in ..read more

A medical device sales representative who filed a False Claims Act lawsuit exposing the alleged kickbacks, which were given to a Massachusetts physician, received a $1.37 million whistleblower award. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) orthopedics and neurosurgery medical device unit DePuy Synthes has agreed to pay $9.75 million to resolve allegations it violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act by providing in-kind kickbacks to an orthopedic surgeon as an incentive for using its products. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the company gave more than $100,000 worth of spi ..read more

The fraud was discovered by a medical office manager who filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. A Georgia ophthalmologist has agreed to pay $1.85 million to settle allegations she violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently billing Medicare for medically unnecessary cataract surgeries and diagnostic tests as well as medical procedures she never performed. The fraud was exposed by a former medical practice office manager who filed a whistleblower complaint under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. She will receive a whistleblower award ..read more

The fraud was exposed by two former company executives who filed a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act. They will share a whistleblower award of $8.3 million. Pennsylvania-based cardiac monitoring company BioTelemetry, Inc. (Nasdaq: BEAT) and its subsidiary CardioNet LLC have agreed to pay nearly $45 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal healthcare programs for services performed by cardiovascular technicians located outside the United States in violation of federal law. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the compa ..read more

The fraud was exposed by a former ModMed executive who filed a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act. He will receive a $9 million whistleblower award. Florida-based electronic health records firm Modernizing Medicine has paid $45 Million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by paying and receiving kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, ModMed partnered with pathology lab firm Miraca Life Sciences to jointly promote ModMed’s cloud-based EHR software and Miraca’s pathology laboratory services through illega ..read more

The settlement follows Cardinal Health’s payment of $13M to resolve related False Claims Act allegations earlier this year A Florida medical group has paid $130,000 to resolve allegations it violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and False Claims Act by knowingly taking illegal kickbacks from pharmaceutical distributor Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH).  The settlement, by the U.S. Department of Justice with Southeast Florida Hematology and Oncology Group, follows Cardinal Health’s payment of $13.1 million back in January to settle related False Claims Act allegations. The scheme was exposed ..read more

Manufacturer of home respiratory equipment allegedly coaxed DME suppliers to recommend and buy more of its products by furnishing them with two types of kickbacks—HMS prescription data and loan guarantees Philips Respironics, a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE: PHG) and a leading manufacturer of home respiratory equipment, has agreed to pay $26 million to settle two qui tam lawsuits alleging it violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and False Claims Act by furnishing kickbacks to durable medical equipment suppliers. The qui tam relator whose complaint expos ..read more

Qui tam whistleblower alleged that Bayer fraudulently paid kickbacks, conducted off-label marketing, and hid safety risks Bayer, the U.S. division of the German drug giant Bayer AG (OTC: BAYRY), has agreed to pay a total of $40 million to settle a pair of False Claims Act whistleblower lawsuits alleging that it illegally marketed three drugs.  According to the lawsuits, Bayer illegally paid kickbacks to doctors, promoted off-label uses, and downplayed safety risks.  The qui tam whistleblower—a former Bayer marketing research analyst—will receive an $11 million whistleblower award fr ..read more

Biotronik allegedly paid doctors illegal kickbacks to promote the sale of its implantable cardiac devices Medical device manufacturer Biotronik has agreed to pay $12.95 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act through payment of illegal kickbacks to physicians as part of an effort to market and promote its implantable cardiac devices, including pacemakers and defibrillators. Two former sales executives of the company who exposed the fraud by filing a qui tam lawsuit will share a whistleblower award of $1.25 million. A multi-pronged kickback scheme ..read more

Athenahealth allegedly violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and False Claims Act by paying kickbacks for clients referrals Healthcare technology firm Athenahealth has agreed to pay $18.25 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by paying illegal kickbacks for client referrals as part of initiatives to promote its Electronic Health Records platform athenaClinicals. Two qui tam relators whose whistleblower complaints exposed the fraud stand to receive significant whistleblower rewards. Three illegal “marketing” initiatives ..read more