Novartis, former unit to pay $346 million to resolve U.S. bribery charges

REUTERS

Novartis AG and a former eye-care unit will pay more than $346 million to resolve U.S. criminal and civil charges that they bribed doctors, hospitals and clinics in Greece and Vietnam to prescribe their drugs and use their surgical products.

The settlements resolve charges that both units violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), a U.S. anti-bribery law. read more »

Piedmont Healthcare to pay $16 million to resolve federal allegations

ATLANTA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Piedmont Healthcare will pay $16 million to settle allegations that it overcharged federal health-care programs, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.

The settlement also resolves allegations that Piedmont paid a commercially unreasonable and above fair market value to acquire Atlanta Cardiology Group in 2007 in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the feds said.

The settlement resolves a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2016 by a former Piedmont physician The whistleblower in this case will receive $2,967,400, the feds said Thursday. read more »

“Compound King” and Wife Sentenced in $21 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme; Fugitive Sought

DOJ

A Houston pharmacist and his wife were sentenced today for their roles in an approximately $21.8 million Department of Labor (DOL) - Office of Workers Compensation Programs and Federal Employees Compensation Act fraud scheme.

On March 10, 2020, after a six-day trial, George Tompkins was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 11 counts of health care fraud, and three counts of wire fraud. Kathryn Tompkins pleaded guilty on Jan. 3, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks. read more »